The White Rose
by Jessemudflap
Summary: When head detective Lex Twain shows up at the tower entrance with a plea, the titans are hesitant. A murderer stalkes the streets of Jump city, targeting young women and the dectective needs bait: Starfire and Raven.
1. Prolouge:January 3rd

_ Hunching her shoulders against the January wind, the girl walked on slowly, her destination unclear. She had to run away. He had done it again; hit her while her weak mother watched, sobbing in a corner. Her mother swore she would divorce him, that it would be for the best, but all he had to do was write her a check for another thousand and all thoughts of divorce were gone. Of course he never hit her mother, only her. He said that her mother was too beautiful to harm. But for her, the beating was deserved, as he preached when he took the horsewhip to her back. This time, the only damage he had done was busted her lip and scarred her back even more, but it been humiliating. It was always humiliating._

_ She kicked at a rock so it clattered against the road. Now, ten miles from home on a deserted road with uneven gravel, she started to cry. Where was she to go? What was she supposed to do? All she had was two pairs of clothes and the little money she could scrounge up without him noticing. And ten dollars in this world would not get you anywhere. But at least she wouldn't have to suffer the humiliation or pain anymore. No one would even care that she was gone. She had no friends at school and no one noticed her. It was as if she were invisible. Hell, it was what she preferred. No one questioned the bruises and cuts she sustained while attending Jump City Private School. Even the counselor, who she had gone to tell that her stepfather beat her, said that she was just a spoiled brat begging for attention. _

_ It was because her stepfather was mayor of the city. Mayor Raymond Jones had a lot of money and a lot of power, and if someone turned up missing that the mayor disliked, nothing was done. Not even the police force messed with the mayor. She was the only one who stood up to him, but paid for it dearly. She lived in a huge mansion on the outskirts of the city with six cars littering the long, white driveway. She had the life of luxury in other people's eyes: Tons of money, gorgeous clothes, getting to share an estate with Ethan Matthews, the 17 years old senior with looks that made girls swoon. No one wanted to believe that his or her beloved mayor beat his stepdaughter. Life was so much easier that way. _

_ She knew that Ethan knew. Hell, he had caught his uncle doing it countless times. He had come home from a date one night to find hid beloved uncle whipping her while she had her head bowed. She made sure never to cry. Crying only made the beating worse. Sure, Ethan would tell him to stop, that she was not worth his uncle's time and he was getting blood on the carpet, and the mayor would stop, agreeing with his nephew…until he was out of sight. Then the beating would get worse. _

_ She hated the way pity shined in Ethan's eyes when he saw her after one of her beatings. It made her sick. _

_ It was not even five o'clock in the morning when she saw the headlights. Who in the world would drive out at this time of morning? The girl hunched her shoulders again, lowering her head so maybe the person would not see her face and keep driving. She didn't want to get in a car with a stranger. Though she was stupid enough to run away, she wasn't stupid enough to get in a car with someone she knew nothing about. Maybe they would just ignore her and keep trucking forward. _

_ But she could tell it was slowing down beside her. She pushed down the fear that threatened to clog her throat and picked up her pace. Maybe she could go to a church in Gothem City. They would certainly take her in and not judge her because she was the stepdaughter of the Jump City mayor._

_ The car slowed down to her pace and the driver rolled down the passenger window. _

"_Need a lift?" It was a man's voice. He sounded young, between the ages of 19 and 30._

"_No, I'm fine, thanks." She never glanced over at the car, but from the corner of her eyes, she could tell it was a red, beat up pickup._

"_Come on, honey. It's cold and there's a chance of snow."_

"_Well, then, I guess I best find shelter soon." _

"_You're a stubborn little thing, aren't you?"_

"_No. I'm just thinking clearly and logically. There's nothing stubborn about being smart."_

"_Afraid of me?" The tone in his voice made her pick up speed. This guy was really creepy and she could feel his eyes caress her body._

"_Come on. I just want to help you."_

"_If you really want to help me, then leave me alone. You don't know me and I don't want you to know me."_

"_I don't think I want to leave you."_

_ She glanced around franticly, trying to find a place to run. She heard the door open and took off running as fast as her long legs would carry her. She thanked God she had joined the track team in middle school and the beginning of high school. She could hear him running after her, calling out sick things, things he wished to do to her. She ran harder, though her muscles ached and she tripped over her worn tennis shoes. There was no forest or grassy shelter in which she could hide, only miles of gravel and red dirt. _

_ She screamed when he grabbed her from behind roughly, pressing a long dagger against her white throat. She sobbed as he pressed the metal harder against her skin._

"_I would have never had to do this if you would have just gotten in the truck."_

_ She swallowed hard, tears streaming down her face. She was only 15 years old! She had a long life ahead of her! She didn't want to die! Oh if only she had just stayed at home, burrowed in her silk sheets and obeyed like a good little girl! _

_ The man dug in his pocket for something and pulled out a syringe. She fought against him, the metal nicking her skin. A thin stream of blood ran down her collarbone and stained her white sweater. Her brain was cloudy with fear, but she remembered self-defense. She stepped on his booted foot, rammed an elbow into his mind section, and then slammed her elbow into his nose. The knife dropped from his hand as he bent over, hitting his knees and she managed to run away. If she had been thinking clearly, she would have run to his truck and took off, but she was so scared that she ran the opposite direction of the truck. She heard him curse and scramble to his feet. He caught up to her and slammed her back against him. She cried out when the dagger dug deep into her stomach. _

"_I can already tell you'll be a fun one." She cried harder. There were so many things she had wanted to do before she died, like tell Ethan how much she loved him, and telling her mother that she was weak. But she would never get a chance. He was going to kill her, probably rape her, then dump her dead body in a ditch for the world to find. _

_ And no one would miss her. He thrust the long, sharp needle into her side, and the girl cried out in pain. This was it. _

_ Hot liquid burned through her vein and her vision blurred. She couldn't move. Her body burned, and then went completely numb as she collapsed in a heap at his feet, blackness taking over her senses. _

_ He grinned down at the girl, who was no more than 16, and knelt beside her to smooth her long golden hair away from her innocent face. She was such a pretty little thing, yet she was walking along County road 186 with an old backpack and worn shoes. She was a runaway, his favorite type. Though his last victim had been taken at a grocery store, a beautiful little dark-haired girl who was only 13, runaways still manage to give him more of a thrill. _

_ Oh, how he loved little girls. He preferred them in the ripe ages, like from twelve to seventeen. Most of his victims had been virgins, some which had never even been kissed. He loved the innocents. Most men wanted experience, women with practice in the bedroom, but not him. He wanted his women fresh, inexperienced. But then again, most men didn't have to rape a woman. _

_ He picked the girl up, bridal style, and carefully made his way to his truck. He glanced down at her pretty face and noticed her busted lip. Jealous boyfriend, maybe? Hard home life? She was used to being beat. His mood perked up immediately. She was going to be fun. Though it was too bad he would have to kill her when he was through. _

_ He laid her down in the backseat carefully, as if she were a fragile glass, easily shattered. He touched her hair again, loving the way it slid softly against his skin. As he climbed into his truck and switched gears, he wondered how long it would be before the police found his last victim._

_ X x X _


	2. Chapter One: January 6th

"Another victim found, another missing." Robin made a sound of disgust as he read the headline of the newspaper. "Jesus, the girl was only 13 years old. This man is sick." He buried his nose in the paper and read the article.

Raven lowered her book so she could peer over the top. "What does it say?" Beast Boy plopped down in the chair next to her and casually rest his arm over the back of her chair. She glanced at him dully as he threw a grin at her. She turned her attention back to Robin.

"Just like the last five. He kidnapped them, raped them, and then murdered them. This time it was brutally. It doesn't go into detail, but it says that she was scattered all over County road 170. Someone needs to find this bastard." Robin glanced over as red hair fell over his shoulder and onto his lap. Starfire was leaning over his shoulder, reading. "Her parents must be devastated."

"Yep." He cleared his throat lightly, uncomfortable at how close Star was. "This has been going on for way to long now. I just wish we could do something about this."

"Robin, we fight villains who rob banks and such, not sick pedophiles. This is something we're not experienced in. This is for detectives and the police force. Not teen super heroes, most of who have not reached the ages of 18." Raven said, lowering her book.

"Yeah, but that's just you and Star. And can't I say something without you trying to correct me? I know we can't help, but I can still wish, right?"

"Wish all you want, Robin. It is not going to happen. We wouldn't know what to do if we were given the chance the track him down."

"Yeah," Beast Boy added, slouching down in his chair and stretching out his long legs. "Anyways, Star and Raven are just about the right age. If we did have to do something about this, they'd be easy targets. Then we'd have to rescue them and take up valuable video game time."

Raven turned her head to give him one of her 'death' looks. "Are you inferring that we would not be able to defend ourselves if we were to be taken? And, if it were to happen, I wouldn't want you saving me. I would need a knight in shining armor, not a green changeling who can hardly walk straight without tripping over his long legs. So, if it were to happen, just sit back and play you video games."

Beast Boy sat up, uncomfortable at the thought of another guy's hand on her, and tried to change the subject away from the pedophile. "I wouldn't worry about it, Robin. They'll find the guy and maybe they'll find the girl. All we need to worry about now is finding and bringing Slade down."

"I wonder if Slade had anything to do with this."

"Robin, Slade isn't behind every single crime that goes on in Jump City." Beast Boy slouched back down and threw a bored look at Raven. "Anyways, I don't think Slade would go so low as to rape and murder young girls still in middle school and high school."

Raven gave Beast Boy a disgusted glance. "For once, I think Beast Boy managed to say something intellectual. Well, there is a first time for everything."

"Shut up, Raven. Not everyone had time to shove their face in "intellectual" books and float away from the real world. While you're in you fantasy books, the rest of the world is dealing with things that you won't have to, like murder and rape."

Raven sneered at him. "And while you're playing your video games because you have no real life, I'm dealing with powers and emotions you couldn't handle."

"Yeah, you're one to talk about personal lives. I bet you've never even talked to a guy other than people here, much less even gone out on a date or even kissed a guy. Face it, Rae. You hide behind you're book because you have no personal life. At least I can actually find someone for me. You won't even allow yourself to talk to a guy. I feel sorry for you, I really do. It must be hard to spend your life alone."

Robin jumped when half of the couch burst, sending stuffing flying everywhere. The chair Beast Boy was sitting in flipped backwards, taking Beast Boy with it. He yelped. Cyborg flew into the room just in time to see Beast Boy crash to the floor. Cyborg howled with laughter.

Robin glanced at Star with a grimace. He swatted at stuffing the floated in front of him, trying to manage dignity while looking like a playful cat.

"Dude…that hurt." Beast Boy sat up and glared at Raven. She returned the look with a smug smile.

"Well, guess I found your button that I _don't_ want to push anymore."

She stood up and stepped over him, purposely kicking the side of his head. "Ouch." She opened the cupboards in search of her herbal tea.

Robin cleared his throat and read the rest of the article. "It says that the girl missing is Hannah Carson Jones, the mayor's stepdaughter. The rest of the town is in search for her. Mayor Jones fears the worst. 'I am worried sick about her. She was never the strong type, and if this pedophile gets a hold of her, she will never be able to fend for herself.'" Robin lowered the paper. "Well, he isn't exactly to sure of her, is he?"

"I heard that she reported that her stepfather beat her. No one believed her. The media asked Ethan Matthews, Jones's nephew, and he wouldn't talk. He became flustered and said he had to get to school. Personally, I think he does hit her around a little. I've seen bruises, but people say she's just clumsy." Cyborg shrugged and plopped down on the other side of the couch, the side that was still intact. "I think no one will believed her because the mayor has a lot of power and a lot of money. Hell, he was filthy rich before he was even elected. She probably ran away to get away from the beatings. Hopefully, the creep doesn't have her and she's with a boyfriend or something."

"I hear that Ethan guy is really guilty. It says in here that Matthew's was the one who finally told that she had runaway. He says he saw her push past the gates and headed south. He wanted to stop her, but he say, and I quote, 'Hannah has a will of steel and is completely stubborn. She won't listen to anyone and does what she wishes. If I tried to stop her, I'd just piss her off. She'd probably push past me and run away anyhow. I'm so scared for her. Even though she can defiantly defend herself from harm, I don't think she can handle being taken by that creep that rapes women. I just hope that she's walking the streets, unharmed, and not with that bastard.' Well, Matthew's thinks she's strong, and yet the mayor thinks her weak." Robin shrugged, lowering the paper.

Raven sat back down in her seat. "Just like a man to think women weak." She aimed a stare at Beast Boy, who now steered clear of her.

"Uh, okay. Anyways…whose turn is it to cook dinner?"

"We order out tonight." Raven said, leaning back against the chair. "I'd prefer Chinese, if that is fine with the rest of you."

"Yeah. That place down at the corner of 31st had really good tofu." Beast Boy said, walking close enough to push up the chair that had tipped over with him in it. He cut a glance at Raven, and then sat down quickly, as if she would slide it out from under him. He gave a relived sigh when he managed to stay in his chair and slouched once more.

"Chinese is fine with me," Cyborg muttered, picking white stuffing from the couch.

"What about you, Star? Chinese fine with you?" Robin asked, studying the picture of the mayor's daughter.

"That is fine with me."

"All righty then. Write down what you want and I'll order." Beast Boy offered, rolling his shoulders.

"You'll just screw it up. Maybe I should."

Beast Boy glared at her. "Is your life mission to make me miserable?"

"I make you miserable? Hmm, then I guess talking to you does some good after all."

"You seriously need a man."

She gave him a dull look. "No thank you. I personally don't need an pompous man who thinks woman are inferior and thank they can rule my life."

"I hope your not talking about me, 'cause the thought of actually dating you is… disgusting."

Raven straightened her shoulders. " You think women are inferior?" She would never admit that what he said stung.

"No, of course not. I know good and well women can be as good as a man, but you said pompous and that's what you always call me, so…"

"As if I would actually sink so low as to date you. You and I both know you couldn't handle me." Raven crossed her legs and rested one arm across the wing of the chair.

"I couldn't handle you? Jeez, I deal with more depressing chicks that even you."

She cocked her head at him. "I was talking about my emotions and powers, but think what you want."

He blinked. "Whatever. Anyway, I'm too good for you." He gave her a smug smile.

She said nothing, just grabbed her book and flipped to where she left off. Beast Boy studied her profile, noticing the way she clenched her teeth. Did what he said actually hurt her feelings?

He leaned forward so only she could hear. "You know I was just joking, right? I didn't really mean it. Come on, Rae. Don't ignore me like that when I'm apologizing. I don't do it often, but if I hurt you, I'm—"

"Hurt me? Don't kid yourself, Beast Boy. No one can hurt me, at least, emotionally. You know that."

He leaned back, but still watched her. "I think you're the one that kids yourself, Rae," he said quietly, his usually joking manner gone, replaced my something more mature, more serious. It drew her attention quickly.

"What do you mean?"

He shook his head and gave her a small smile. "Don't worry about it. One of these days, you'll find out what I mean." The comedian slid back over his mature side and he was off bugging Cyborg.

Raven picked at the spine of her book, confused at what Beast Boy said. What did he mean? She was the one that fools herself? It made no sense! Then again, most things Beast Boy say makes no sense.

Raven returned to her book, losing herself in the morbid stories of Edgar Allen Poe.

"Guess it's time I order, huh?" Beast Boy snickered when Cyborg dove at him and fell of the couch with a thud and muttered curse.

"I'm gonna get you, you little grass stain!" Cyborg was up again, chasing Beast Boy around them room, yelling hollow threats. It just made Beast Boy laugh harder.

Starfire watched them, amused, while Robin shook his head at their immature behavior.

"Guess I'm gonna have to be the one to order out." Robin stood up, brushing off his jeans. After three years of being part of the Teen Titans, they decided it was time to wear comfortable clothes around, not leotards and capes. They still had uniforms, but over the years, their fighting wear became more mature. They had decided many things, actually. They were free to leave when they chose, if the problem arose, and were allowed to lead semi-normal teen lives. They could date when they wanted, as long as they were free to leave the date immediately if something went wrong, and well, they could do practically anything they wished, as long as they could still defend Jump City.

The men of the titans were thrilled when they could date. Cyborg jumped right in, roaming from one girl to another. But on the other hand, the other two were not so ecstatic. Robin had long ago promised himself he would never involve himself with another member of his team, and drowned his sorrows in other women. He never allowed himself to care for them, just to have them at hand when he needed them. When the team had first formed, he had known that he would be drawn to Starfire. A little ways along, he found himself falling for her…and he couldn't have that. Luckily, when he brought up the subject of dating and such, everyone agreed, though it had been the first time he had seen Starfire so depressed. She never dated, same as Raven, but instead, they just merely watched other guys from a distance.

After asking around and taking down orders, Robin called it in. He rolled his eyes as he repeated the order again, this time more slowly, and kicked the wall when the person on the other end repeated the order and screwed it up. He repeated it once more, shoving his fingers through his unruly hair that now brushed his shoulders, and made sure to say everything extra slow, holding up one finger each time he repeated an order.

The girl on the other end managed to get it right after three tried and Robin gave a sigh of relief. "It'll be ready in 'bout twenty minutes." She smacked her gum loudly in his ear, asking if it would be delivered or picked up.

"Pick-up, defiantly. Wouldn't want our order to be taken to the wrong place." He slammed the phone down and glared at nothing in particular. "Why is it so hard to write down and order, then repeat it? Jeez." He stretched his six foot four frame out in the chair the Star had been sitting on the edge of. He rubbed his eyes behind the ever-present mask and practically purred when Star rubbed his tense shoulders.

"Damn. I have to go pick up that stupid order." Starfire walked around the chair to rub the back of his neck. "I could go, if you would like."

Cyborg raised an eyebrow at the two and offered to go himself. "I could run by there and pick it up. It's close to Auto Zone. I need to pick up a few things anyhow. It won't take me but thirty minutes or so. Ya'll can wait that long, right?"

Beast Boy groaned and plopped down next to Raven…again. Without looking up from her book, Raven asked, "Is there a reason you chose to sit by me?"

"Yep. Your scent is somewhat delicious and completely invigorating."

She blushed. "Is that your word of the day?"

"Yep. Tomorrow's is delectable. I'm sure I can slid that in a sentence while talking to you." Her cheeks burned.

"Alright, this is staring to sicken me immensely, so I'm headed for the food. Let's just hope you two don't jump each other before I get back." Cyborg shook his head as he headed for the T-Car, parked in the garage below the tower.

"Jump each other? Yeah right. I'd get my butt kicked." Beast Boy pouted before he found something of interest to bother: Robin and Starfire.

His head popped over Starfire's shoulder, making her jump. "So…having fun?"

"Beast Boy, go away." Robin glanced up at his with a glare. Beast Boy's grin was innocent. "I was just asking a question."

"Yeah, well, go bother Raven."

"I bother her enough." Robin's look screamed '_you've got to be kidding me'_. Beast Boy's look was mock shock. "You're right! How could I ever bother Raven enough!" Beast Boy slithered over to Raven, literally, and crawled to the top of the couch to peek over her shoulder.

Raven gave the green snake a frightening sneer before slamming her book across his head. Beast Boy just managed to keep from being squashed and, jumped into the chair next to her. "Jeez, you could have killed me!"

"If you wouldn't have moved, my day would have improved incalculably."

"Incally-what?"

"Immensely, greatly, hugely. Take your pick, it all means the same thing. My way of using it is just a tab bit harder."

"Oh…right…so, whatcha readin'?"

"Edgar Allen Poe."

"Cool. Isn't he a poet or something?"

She gave him an impressed stare. "Good guess. Where'd you learn that? Television?"

He sneered at her. "No, I actually read, you know."

She chuckled, amused. "Wow, you finally made a funny joke."

"Edgar Allen Poe was a morbid writer. He wrote _The Raven, The House of Seven_ _Gables, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Telltale Heart, and Amelia _(which was actually a poem), along with many others. When he wrote his many stories, he was on heroin, which, eventually, was the thing to kill him…well…I think it was." Beast Boy looked smug, folding his arms over his chest.

Raven's eyes widened. "How do you know all that?"

Beast Boy looked sheepish. "When I was younger, when the titan's first grouped together, I thought that if I read morbid things, I would have a common subject to talk to you about. But you kept to yourself and I didn't want to bother you. I'm surprised I remembered all that."

She lowered the book to her lap and studied him with her head cocked. A long stand of violet hair fell over her shoulder, which instantly drew his attention. "You studied Poe to impress me?"

He blushed. "No, it was just so you wouldn't think you didn't have anyone to talk to. It was right after you said you were alone." He shrugged, as if the matter were not of importance. "Now, my sole mission to come over here was to bother you, so…" He grinned at her.

"I like it better when you act like yourself, not some annoying little brat." She lifted the book to read, almost smiling when he made a sound of offense. "Ugh, that was rude. And, anyways, how do you know what the real me is like? Hmm?"

She leaned forward and he gulped, watching the way her hair fell over her shoulder. "You forget, Garfield Logan. With my powers, I can tell what's inside you. I might not have emotions, but I sure as hell can tell what other people feel." Her lips curved seductively while he gaped at her.

"Seriously? Awh, dude, that is just creepy."

Her lips twitched, then her emotionless face slide back into place. "My powers aren't the strong yet, Beast Boy."

He gave a sigh of relief and slide down in his seat. "You had me going there for a second."

Starfire grinned, rubbing her thumbs in a circular motion across Robin's shoulder blades. "Are they not adorable?" His response was a lazy grunt.

She glanced down at him with a grin. "They would do well together."

"I don't know. I don't think it would."

"And why do you think that?"

"When teammates date each other, they aren't able to pay attention to more important things. They'd always be worried about the other one, and in the end, that worry would be the destruction of the person. It's why I will _never_ date, care for, or fall in love with a teammate. It just leads to trouble."

Starfire lowered her eyes, blinking back tears. Though her hands never faltered, Robin noticed the change. "Yes, well, it could be a different outcome for them. And, who knows, maybe one day they will be together. No one knows what the future hold. Frankly, I would rather focus on the present instead of looking to the future. It just is a waste of time to me."

An alarm sounded, indicating a visitor. Star pulled her hands back and walked to the monitor where security cameras transmitted a picture to the screen, which was commanded by fingertips.

Three men, all dressed in black, waited at the front entrance of the tower, their backs straight and shoulders squared. They all seemed to be tall, though their faces' were obscured but the darkness of night. Robin stood beside her and pressed the intercom button. "Can we help you?"

All three men glanced up, obviously startled, but regained their composure. "Can we speak to you and your team?"

Robin's eyes narrowed. "What do you need to say? I'm sure you can say what you need here."

The men exchanged glances before the tallest in cleared his throat and took something out of his breast pocket. "I'm detective Lex Twain. The man to my left is Captain Ronald Waylin and the other man is Detective Lance Ortega. We need your help, titans. We need you to help us find this pedophile and what I ask maybe dangerous. But, if you want this man captured, I suggest you let us in." The man's voice changed, as if he were embarrassed. Then, it was smug. "We have a plan."

XxX


	3. Chapter Two: January 6th

Detective Alexander Twain sat down on the couch, glancing at the torn half with a raised eyebrow.

"Can I get you anything?" Raven asked, folding her arms under her chest. She didn't trust these men, even though they were from the police force. Detective Twin glanced at her and smiled. "If you have coffee that would be fine. If not, just water."

His eyes lingered over her for a moment to long for her taste, but he turned his attention to Robin. "You're the leader, am I correct?"

Robin gave a small shrug. "I guess."

Detective Ortega raised an eyebrow, glancing briefly at Raven when she handed Twain the glass of water. "You guess?"

"We're a team. No one has higher standers than the other. I was the first one on the team, but that's about it. We decided long ago that no one was categorized as higher or lower than the other."

The men nodded. "It seems as if you have your head on your shoulders, Greyson." Robin's eyes narrowed into slits.

Captain Waylin held up a reassuring hand. "We just wanted to be familiar with your backgrounds, though we found nothing on the two women." Twain threw a speculative glance at both women. "We checked countless records in search of them, but came up empty handed."

"We're not even from the planet, Detective. We were not born here, so, therefore, no records of us can be found." Raven returned the glance Twain gave her and sat down next to Starfire.

"Right." Ortega thumped at a piece of stuffing next to him. " You are all above the ages of 16, correct?"

"I just turned 17 earth years last month."

"I also just turned 17. Beast Boy and Robin are 18 and Cyborg is almost 20."

"All right." Twain took out a little notebook and began t scribble things down. A lock of dark brown hair fell over black eyes as he glanced back up at Robin. "How long had the team been together?"

"I'm sure you can look it up. What is you plan?" Silence settled over the room. Detective Twain stood up, almost an inch shorter than Robin, and walked over to the large window.

"As you know, a pedophile has been walking the streets of Jump City. He targets young women, between the ages of 13 and 18. He kidnaps them, rapes them, and murders them. He usually will keep his victims for a maximum of three weeks. His last victim, who was waiting in the car at a grocery store while her mother ran in to get milk, was taken, and was missing for exactly three weeks. I'm sure you read in the paper that her remains were scattered across the road. But we had to hide things from the people."

Ortega spoke up. "When searching, we found…well…her hand. Nothing was connected to the wrist. But clenched in her fist was a white rose, voided of all blood, even the stem. His other victims held a white rose also. The thing about them though, is that they are but mere buds, no yet bloomed. And, well, the police force calls him The White Rose Murderer. But about the flower, we figure it is—"

"It is like his victims. They are not yet fully bloomed, correct?" All eyes turned to Star and she blushed.

Detective Twain studied her, impressed. "Exactly."

Waylin scratched his blonde head before going on. "We can find not trace of the killer though, not even a shoe print or tire tracks. Whoever is doing this knows exactly what his is doing."

"What does this have to do with us?" Raven asked. Beast Boy sat down at her feet and absentmindedly tugged at the hem of her jeans. She glanced down at him, the focused on the Captain.

He fidgeted at her stare and cleared his throat. "We discussed it, and…well, though I am not in full agreement…because I have a teenage daughter also, and she's just 16, but—"

"What is your big plan, Captain?" The look the teens gave him made him want to spill everything. They had this…look…that scared even the captain of thirty-six.

"We need bait." Twain narrowed his eyes in Star and Raven's direction. "We need girls who are between the ages of 13 and 18 who know how to defend themselves if they were to be taken. We would have used Franklin, a women officer, but she just doesn't have what it takes to be a teenager again. We wouldn't want to endanger other girls, so we decided that, if we were to catch him, that we would need highly trained women to take him down. And you two came to mind. The police force had been highly impressed by the Teen Titans, and has occasionally taped a scene in which you fought. Ortega, Waylin, and I replayed the tapes and figured that, if you two really wanted this guy caught, then you would help. But, if you would like this man to take another 13 years old girl, then we will try our best with just the police force. It is really up to you."

"You're guilt tripping us. If we were to do this, how would you know he would even target us? There are thousands of girls between the ages of 13 and 18 in Jump City. And you think, that two of those thousand, could actually get his attention? And, anyways, everyone knows of us. Don't you think, that if we were to snag his attention, he would steer clear of members of the Teen Titans? I thought the police force would be the ones to think logically." Raven held back a scowl.

Twain grinned. "You're right. Out of thousands of girls, why would he choose two?" Raven glare was deadly, as well as Star's.

"Let me say what I have to say again. He targets young women, _virginal_ women, _innocent _women. So that knocks those thousand down to about eight hundred. He usually takes girl on the street, so that knocks it down to about three hundred. All his victims had had long hair. Now were down to about a hundred or so. Anyways, I don't think young girls would be stupid enough to run away when a pedophile is on the run. So, we stick you on the street and you're an easy target. You both have long hair, and, anyone can tell you are both virgins, so why would he not take you? We'd have a specialist fix your makeup and do your clothes so you wouldn't look like the women of the teen titans. We flaunt your better side, one dark, the other light, and you'll be a shoe in to get kidnapped. He takes you, you kick his ass, you save the mayor's daughter, and this guy will rot in prison. It's a win-win situation."

Raven seethed with anger. "You think you can just come in here, slap some makeup on us, throw us out on the street, and hope that we catch this guy? What if we don't get taken and this guy strikes someone else? Or what if we do get taken, but aren't able to stop this guy?"

Twain's smile was completely smug. "You obviously don't have much faith in yourself. When you go out and fight against bank robbing villains with guns, or psychotic villains with an army of robots, do you even think that you might not come home again? Do you ever think that you'll just sit back like a coward while the rest of the world is praying for their lives? Well, it is certainly what your doing now."

The rage boiling up inside of Raven burst with his last comment. With a flick of her wrist, she sent Twain crashing into a wall. "How are you come in here, tell us that if we don't follow your plan innocent girls will die, and when we have doubts, call us cowards. We are far from cowards. This town knows that the police force is lacking in duty, and depending on five teenagers to do their dirty work. When was the last time you captured a bank robber? Yes, now you have to do a little work, but you still come running to the tower. You, Detective Alexander Twain, are the coward."

The force pinning him to the wall disappeared and he slid to the ground. Raven sat back down, ignoring the frightened glances the other two men threw at her.

Twain stood up and fixed his stripped tie. "I apologize for offending you. It is just that…we really need your help. This man has been on the run for a while now and with each passing moment, he his probably torturing the mayor's daughter. And—"

Robin spoke up. "I thought that no one knew where she was. How do you know that he has her?"

Ortega crossed his legs at the ankle. "We don't. But we have high suspicions that he has her. She would have been an easy target. She was virginal, long hair, and a runaway."

"But how does he know that they are virgins? These days, it's hard to tell." Beast Boy flinched when Raven glared at him. "I wasn't taking about you…though it does kinda surprise me." She kicked his side hard, and his breath came out in a grunt. He glanced up at her with a genuine grin. "I was just kidding. It doesn't surprise me."

"And why not?"

His smile vanished. "I can't say anything right, can I?" Her eyes flashed, but he knew that it was laughter. Well, at least her eyes laughed at him.

Ortega spoke up. "Are you going to help us? If not, then I guess we need to come up with a new plan."

Raven sighed and stood up. "I guess we have no choice. If we want this man caught, we might actually be the only ones who can help." She held out a hesitant hand. "I'll do it." Twain took it with a grin.

"We can't thank you enough." He glanced down at Starfire. "Will you be helping us out?"

She bit her lip, standing up. Ortega's eyes widened. Jeez, she was taller than his six feet! She was barely shorter than Lex, and taller than Ray. She was like an Amazon women or something. She was defiantly pretty enough.

"I will do what is needed." Lex's grin widened. "Perfect. How about we start first thing in the morning. We'll have to have you fitted and you color matched so we know what makeup you need and—"

"What is this, a beauty pageant? I thought we were just supposed to walk the streets, not look prostitutes begging for attention."

"We want to make sure he doesn't recognize you immediately." Raven glanced down and noticed he had not released her hand. She pulled it back and dropped it at her side. "We can't thank you enough for helping is with this case."

"Talk about irony." Raven muttered, glancing at Robin who nodded in agreement.

Cyborg sauntered in, hands full of bags, whistling. He caught sight of the three men with a raised eyebrow and set the food on the counter. "I missed something really important, didn't I?"

X x X

After the men left, the group explained to Cyborg everything that was taking place while they ate their food. He had shaken his head and mused how ironic everything was, then headed off to bed.

Starfire padded to the bathroom, longing for a hot shower. She turned the water on as hot as she could bear, stripped down, and stepped under the comforting spray.

She stared at the white tiles while the water soaked her long hair and pondered the events that had taken place only hours ago.

Though she was still a little cloudy on earth ways, this seemed completely strange.

Usually, the titans only dealt with bank robbers and Slade, but murderers? It made no sense to her why a detective would need the help of two teenage girls. As Raven had said, there were thousands of women between the ages of 13 and 18. Why would he be drawn to her and Raven? He could attack anywhere and they were just supposed to walk the streets, pretending to be runaway? What if someone else offered them a ride? They knew not whom this man was so how were they supposed to know which car to get in? If they got in the wrong car, they would be losing time. What if he didn't even have a car? What he dragged his victims into buildings? They knew not what kind of car he drove or anything. How could they track a man they knew nothing about?

Starfire groaned and rinsed the shampoo from her hair. No one seemed to be thinking along those lines. After she rinsed the soap from her, she stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. Maybe she should talk to Robin. What he had said earlier to her floated back to her and her heart clenched. It was no secret that she loved him, had since the moment he had said that no one could replace her when her sister tried to take over her place. It had been hard enough for her to watch him date other girls and bring them home, but even then she had let a little shimmer of hope bloom in her heart that maybe one day he would notice her.

But now…now that flower of hope withered and died, leaving her empty. She could always date other guys, but it wouldn't be the same. She would probably compare that man to Robin, which would be unfair to the person she had dated. At least she could get her mind off him with this adventure her and Raven we about to partake in. And, who knows. Maybe they could find this man and bring him down while saving the poor mayor's daughter.

Slipping on her clothes and brushing out her wet hair, which fell to her hips, Starfire made her way to Robin's room. She knocked lightly and was afraid that it was too late when he didn't answer. She frowned and stepped back, turning to walk to her room. The _swish_ of the door had her turning back around.

Robin stood before, in nothing but lose red pajama bottoms that hugged his lean hips. She blushed and looked down when she found herself staring at his chest. "I…I am terribly sorry if I awoke you. I just had…a few…minor confusions about what is to take place."

He grinned and moved back so she could walk in. Hesitantly, she glanced up at him, then made her way to his room. The door shut, bathing them in darkness, and she jumped when he touched her shoulder. "Give me a minute and I'll find a light bulb. My light just went out on me, which would explain the darkness. Go ahead and find a place to sit…if you can. I'll just be a minute." He walked out, leaving her alone in his room.

It was strangely comforting, the smell of his room. It was completely Robin. With the help of her glowing hand, she sidestepped clothes and old newspaper clippings and sat down at his desk. Her curiosity got the better of her and she picked up an article lying on the metal desk, lifting her hand to read it.

The door opened, bathing the room with a dull light glow and she jumped as if she had been caught doing something she was not supposed to.

Robin chuckled and grabbed a chair to stand on. After he fixed the light and made himself comfortable, she forgot what she came here to say. With him sprawled out on his bed, legs crossed, it was really hard to pay attention to anything other than him. Of course she had seen men with their shirts off, like on television, but had she seen _Robin_ like this. And he looked really, really good without a shirt on.

"Starfire?"

"Hmm?" She blinked once. Twice. Then cleared her throat and looked away.

"You said you had some minor confusions about what's going on."

"Oh, yes, right. I was a bit…"

"Sidetracked?" Robin offered with an amused grin.

"Umm…yes." She toyed with the ends of her hair, biting her lower lip. Finally, she repeated what she had thought in the shower.

Robin sat up to listen, watching the way she played with her hair. She braided it, unbraided it, and then started all over again.

"I would have never thought of that." He leaned against the headboard, folding his hands across his flat stomach. "Jeez, that throws things off a little, doesn't it?"

"Yes. But what are we to do if a man picks us up, but is not the White Rose Murderer? He could be anybody and we are just…supposed to know which one is the true man?"

Robin sighed, biting the inside of his lip while thinking. "Maybe…you could tell whoever tried to pick you up that you can walk on your own. If he tried to force you, then maybe it is him. If he doesn't, then…you wait until the next person tries to pick you up." He thought a moment longer and muttered, "I don't like the fact that they're putting you out on the streets in hope of a rapist picking you up."

Starfire shrugged and stretched out her long legs before folding the under her. "I just hope we can find him and save that poor girl. Who knows what she has been through? I hate the thought of not helping find this man and not putting the girls' murderer to rest."

"It's sick to think that some of these girl have not even hit puberty."

"I just hope Raven and I will not be his next victim."

"He's not going to touch you, believe me. I'll implant a tracking devise on you so we could follow your signal. Except only Cyborg, Beast Boy, and I will be the only ones who know about it. I really don't trust the police. They could manage to screw it up and you and Raven could end up hurt."

Starfire stood up and walked to his bed, sitting on the edge and folding her legs under her. "Why do you not trust them?"

Robin made a space for her so she could lean against the headboard with him. Their shoulders touched and he could have sworn fire shot up and down his arm. "I just…don't. As Raven said, they're depending on five teenagers to do all their dirty work. And now, they're prepared to endanger your lives' because they couldn't manage to do it on their own. The have just become way to reliant on us." Beside him, Star stretched like a cat and yawned.

Leaning her head against the headboard, she studied the collage of Slade on the far wall. It ranged from newspaper clippings, to his mask, to shards of metal, and to his weapons. She slid down lower to get more comfortable and mumbled, "That is quite a assortment you have."

He glanced down and her then followed her eyes to his collection. He gave an unfeeling smile. "Yeah. I just wish I could find him and bring him down once and for all." Surprised, he glanced down to find Star resting her head on his shoulders, already sound asleep. Her hair, still damp, fell over his shoulder and settled against his stomach.

Slowly, so not to wake her, he slid down so his back touched the mattress. She slid down with him and immediately threw her arm across his stomach, her head still against his shoulder. He knew his whole body was probably red, but after the embarrassment fled and comfort settled in, he drifted off to sleep.

X x X


	4. Chapter Three: January 7th

Starfire sighed, stretching out, keeping her eyes closed against the morning sun. She was so warm and comfortable, her body laid against something hard, yet warm. It took her a minute to realize that she was laying on _someone_. Her eyes flew open fast, and she raised herself on her elbows, glancing down at…Robin. Her eyes widened as he grinned up at her. "You know, you're really light weight for a woman who can lift twenty times Cyborg's weight."

She groaned in embarrassment. "I am so sorry. I did not realize that I was even in _here._ I am so, so, so sorry."

"You mustn't be that sorry, considering you're still on top of me." She tried to scramble off and gather the remaining shards of her dignity when his grip on her waist tightened.

"Star, there's no need to apologize. I was actually…comfortable. I have to admit it was strangely relaxing."

She bit her lip, raising one arm to push her mass of red hair back. It slid over her shoulder again and fell across his chest.

"In my world, this would be immoral. I would either be forced to marry you or be pulled from my rank as Grand Ruler."

"I have gamophobia, so can we side step any talk of marriage?"

She grinned down at him. "You have a fear of marriage?"

"Yep. Hate commitment. Never want to have to bother with it."

"But how can you stand being alone?"

"Technically, I'm not alone. I have a houseful of friends and when I do have a…let's just drop this entire subject, how 'bout? Now, you have a really, really strict home planet, don't you?"

"Yes. The daughter of the Grand Ruler is not allowed to 'date' as you call it. We are not even allowed to hold hands or hug or kiss the opposite sex. But my sister snuck away to meet men. She started bending the rules when she was only thirteen years of age."

"Why does that not surprise me?"

She slid off him, much to his disappointment, and sat down with her legs crossed right beside him. She threw her hair behind her shoulder. "I still cannot believe I slept here."

He grinned. "Me either."

She blushed, folding her arms under her chest. She turned her head to stare at the colleage, and sighed. "I am sorry."

He rolled his eyes and sat up. "Jeez, Star. It's not like anything happened and this little incident is, like, life changing or something. You slept in my room, in my bed, next to me…or…on top of me, but that's not the point. It's not like we're having an affair or something. It just happened. Nothing lost, nothing gained. So, how about we drop this and—"

"Pretend as if this never happened." She stood up and scooted off the bed. "It has already been forgotten. You have nothing to worry about." She gave him a false smile and walked away.

He made a few sounds as if he wanted to say something but nothing would come out except little grunts. Finally, he scrambled off the bed, almost tripped over the twisted covers, muttered a curse, and made a grab for her.

"Wait, Star." She sighed and turned. He ran into her and barely managed to keep them both from falling. Since when was he so clumsy? Usually, he was graceful in most things he did, like _walking_….now, he was tripping and cursing and stuttering.

Clearing his throat, Robin said, "Look, Star. I didn't mean it like that. It's just that…"

"Robin, I agree completely with you." He snapped his mouth shut and watched her with narrowed eyes. "What?"

"I agree with you."

He gave an aggravated, speedy sigh, and held her shoulders. "Yeah, that much I know. But…why?"

She looked him in the eye. "As you said before, it would be unwise to fool with a teammate, and this is the exact thing that would spark my attraction to you. If I forget it ever occurred, then I am saving myself from any pain that could come. You know as well as I that I will latch on to a man quickly when I find one, and I would hope that you are not the one. No offence meant."

"Yes, well, that is still offending." Robin's brain tried to process the fact that she _could_ be attracted to him…but she _wasn't_. Well, so much for his pride.

"It has nothing to do with you, believe me. I am not very happy to admit it, but I am…soft, when it comes to love and such. It would be easy to hurt me and I know you don't want that, so, I agree with you."

"But…"

"There is no 'buts' about it. I now it is selfish of me, but I do not want to be hurt emotionally by you. I am still not completely sure of myself as it is now."

"But…jeez. Wait a second…you don't find me attractive now?" He watched as she threw her head back and laughed at him. He bit back the urge to pout. "Of course. More than you know. But that has nothing to do with it."

"Uh, yes, it does."

"No, it does not."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes, it does."

"No, Robin, it does not."

"Yes—"

"How does me thinking that your are attractive have anything to do with our conversation?"

"What was our conversation again?" He joked, but immediately regretted it.

Her eyes narrowed. "Nothing important."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" He sighed. "Okay, so…maybe we shouldn't forget this…"

Her eyebrows drew together in confusion. "And why ever not?"

"Because…we just shared the same bed as friends, so that isn't as bad, right? I mean, we both know it meant nothing really, so why should it be forgotten?"

Her green eyes darkened with fury and pain as she jerked out of his grip. "For you, Robin, it might have meant nothing. But for me…it meant a great deal." She walked out of his room before he had a chance to gather his jumbled brain together and call her back. But hell, what was he supposed to say?

"Way to go, Robin," he groaned, burying his head in his hands. "Way to go."

Sprawled out face first in his pillow, Beast Boy moaned in pleasure. He was so comfortable…so warm…he didn't want to get up. He snuggled deeper into the worn mattress, and then sprawled out completely. But then he caught her sent. His eyes snapped open to find Raven grimacing at the mess. She glanced at him and straightened her shoulders.

"You're up. Finally." She sidestepped dirty piles of clothes and stood at the bottom of his bunk. With a grunt, he crawled at the edge and peered down at her, his green gaze colliding with her violet one. His heart jumped in his chest as usual.

"Go 'way," he mumbled, shoving his head into a pillow. He heard her quiet sigh and peeked his head out from under the pillow just enough so he could say, "What you doin' in my room, anyhow?"

She raised an eyebrow at him, sliding a finger across his desk to inspect the dust. "What a vocabulary."

He yawned loudly and turned his back to her. She got an eyeful of his muscular backside and berated herself for drooling.

"It's getting late and you probably forgot that today we work on that case."

He curled up in a ball, snuggling a pillow to his chest, and made a sound of complete pleasure.

She rolled her eyes, pushing down the thought that he was completely adorable, and levitated to sit on the edge of his bed. What she was doing here, only God knows. But she was here, in his room, sitting on the top bunk of his bed, watching him snuggle with a pillow. When she had stood outside his door, she had told herself that it was payback for all he had done to her. But now, it seemed as if that were not the reason.

"Beast Boy."

"I said go 'way. It still early, go back to bed. Me tired." He stretched back out, almost kicking her off the bed.

"Look, I am in no mood to deal with you—"

"Then why you come to my room?"

She gave an aggravated sigh and jerked the covers off him, already at the end of her patience. He sat up, his hair sticking up in different directions, his eyes still cloudy with sleep. He threw her a look between a glare and a pout, snatched the covers back, and rolled into a little ball a couple of times. By the time he was through, the only evidence that a human was in there were the green spikes of hair sticking out of the blue-cotton covered ball.

"Get up."

"No."

"Yes."

"No way, Jose. I ain't comin' out a' here."

"Yes, you are. Quit talking like a preschooler and get dressed." She wrinkled her nose. "And take a shower while you're at it."

"How 'bout you pull that big ol' stick outta your butt, then I'll get up."

"Beast Boy," she growled out his name but he merely snorted. "Why won't you leave me alone? Tell you what…I leave you alone you leave me alone. Deal?"

She rolled the thought around in her head for a moment. "Tempting, but no."

The big ball sat up and a head poked through. "Go away, for the last freakin' time! I wanna sleep and you're not allowing me that one little pleasure."

She leaned forward, watching the way his eyes widened. "Get up."

He sneered at her, lay back down, and snuggled deeper.

"Beast Boy, why must you act like a child?"

"Why must you act like a prickly old maid?"

She yanked the covers down and, before he could utter a complaint, leaned into his face. He blinked his forest green eyes, fringed by dark lashes that were too long for a man, and stared, transfixed.

"Get. Up."

He leaned forward, almost nose to nose with her. "No."

"Yes."

"No."

"I will not lower myself to your position and have this grade school fight. Get up, take a shower, get dressed, and come to the main hall."

"When I'm darned good and ready. And now…I'm not ready." He glared at her. "Since when have you become my mother?"

"God forbid. Now, get up."

He threw a minor fit, bouncing up and down. "No. I don't wanna get up!"

"Beast Boy, now."

Now he was nose to nose with her. He ground his teeth. "No."

"Beast Boy, I said—" Quickly, he close the space between then, pressing his mouth against hers in a soft, butterfly kiss.

He pulled back with a wide grin. "I'll get up now."

She blinked rapidly. She heard his laugh as he grabbed clothes. The pillow lifted, encased in a black light, and slammed into the back of his head, almost knocking him down.

She glanced around to see him with an irritated look, rubbing the back of his head. "Jeez, what was that for?"

"Never do that again."

He shrugged, kicking a pair of jeans out of his way. "I needed a wake up call and since you were there, I thought it would do perfectly. Now. I'm off to my shower." He strutted out with a grin.

Gracefully, she levitated down and popped up in front of him. He squealed, pressing his hand to his chest.

"Damn, you almost gave me a heart attack. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to take a shower."

"Why did you do that?"

He sighed and threw his clothes over his bare shoulder. " 'Cause, I needed a wake up call. Thought I told you that."

She crossed her arms under her chest. "You could have gone to Star."

He snorted. "Yeah, and risk Robin dismembering me."

"And, you truly think I would not."

He grinned. "Yep."

Offended, she gritted her teeth. "And why not?"

"Because, that would mean that, first off, you would have to touch me, and second, that you would never sully your hands with my blood."

"Would you like to make a bet on that?"

He grimaced. "Uh, no. But hey, at least you didn't throw me across the room."

"Today's not even begun."

His whole body tensed. "Oh. Damn." He wrinkled his nose, and then grinned. "At least I know the element of surprise. At least where you're concerned."

"You will not do it again."

"All right. Look, I'm really, really sorry. You woke me up at," he searched for the time, glancing at his walls.

"8:30."

"Yeah, 8:30 A.M. and you expect me to just…do nothing."

"Yes."

"Well, I don't function that way. So, I got you back, so…ha."

"Who knew you would sink so low as to—"

"Kiss you? Yeah, well, I'm full of surprises. Now, Twain's gonna be here anytime and I want to take a shower. Wouldn't want to scare the guest away with my smell, now would I?"

He moved past her smugly. She closed her eyes and took deep, calming breaths. How dare he surprise her like that! No one threw her off guard like that, especially someone like Beast Boy.

She stalked down the hallway, making her way to the main room. And realized her heart was still pounding in her throat. She stopped and shook her head. "And damn if I didn't like it."

Alexander Twain slapped at his alarm clock when it buzzed in his ear. Oh how he dreaded today. Not only did he have to deal with five hormonal teenagers with feelings they were still trying to figure out, but he was also endangering them all. Anything could happen and if one of the died, he couldn't forgive himself.

"Umm, what time is it?" Lex felt his heart skip a beat as his wife sat up and stretched, her golden hair tousled around her shoulders.

He leaned over and kissed her with a grin, resting his hand on her swollen stomach. "It's early. Go back to sleep. Don't forget you have a doctor's appointment today."

She sighed. "How could I forget? We find out what it is today."

His heart contracted in guilt. "I wish I could be there."

She grinned smugly. "I'm glad you're not."

"What?"

"Because it'll be a surprise." He smiled and kissed her again.

"Yuck." Lex glanced at the doorway to see his four-year-old son, Connor, with a grossed out look on his innocent face.

"Can I sleep in here?"

Lex chuckled. "It's already morning, Connor."

He pouted, his bright blue eyes mischievous. "So. I wanna sleep with mommy until she goes to the mean ol' doctor." His wife laughed and patted the space between them.

He jumped on the bed and crawled between his parents. Reluctantly, Lex crawled off the bed and grabbed his clothes to put on after he hopped in the shower. He was already running behind schedule. He was supposed to stop by at the office and pick up his partners. Now, it was 8:45 and he had not even called them.

The meeting with the teens yesterday had been…unusual. He had not mean to goad the dark one, but if they did not help, they could not find this man. God, had his career sunk so low that he had to depend on two young teenagers to do the dirty work? He was endangering teenagers, who were probably still dealing with acne and feelings of puppy love.

After drying off and throwing on his clothes, he kissed his wife and son and headed out, his heart clouded with guilt.

"This, Titans, is Darcy Phillips. She will be the one doing you're make-up. She's one of the police officer's older sister and she is a master in cosmetology." Raven studied the woman from her seat. She was petite with short, bright red hair and was watching them with a mixture of awe and fear.

"And this," Lex said, pointing to the man next to her, "is Marty Rays. He'll be doing your clothes." Marty grinned when the men exchanged looks. "You'll be happy to know I'm not gay. I'm actually married with two kids. I just major in clothes design."

Raven nodded. "So, what is your big plan?"

Lex sighed, rubbing his hands over his eyes. "We have decided. We think that it would be better if, during this whole ordeal, that…you don't use your powers. Actually, it would be better if none of you did."

Ignoring the confused glances of the titans, Twain went on. "We have decided that it would be too suspicious if two members of the team vanished."

"Hold on," Beast Boy said, sitting between Raven and Starfire. "I though that they would be walking the streets during whatever time, but coming right back here."

Ortega held up a finger. "Ah, but you see, if our plan actually works, then this man just might follow them. And if he was to trace you back to here, then our plans are ruined. But, if you were to taken on completely different lives', then he won't suspect a thing."

"So you just expect us to leave them out on the streets, in the middle of January, with a rapist on the lose. They wouldn't be able to defend themselves if they don't want to draw attention to themselves." Robin glanced at Star and pushed down the thought of her being defenseless against a murderer.

"Well, last night we did a little talking…and…we think it best if…" Waylin drifted off, leaving the teens in suspense.

"What?" Raven was losing her patience quickly with these men… or, actually, all men in particular.

Lex growled in annoyance at his softhearted partner. He got right to the point. "Until this case is over, we think it best that you all drop your rank as the Teen Titans."


	5. Chapter Four: January 7th

Shocked silence settled over the room. Lex couldn't help but notice how young the wide eyes made them look and a pang of guilt ran through his heart. It was like sending children to their death.

"You've got to be kidding." Robin finally managed, his back straight in confusion. "We have to protect the city. It's our job. Without us, this city is vulnerable to anything. God knows the police force doesn't help this place anymore. We can't just quit because you think it's best. What happens if Slade or The Hive attacks, even Johnny Rancid could attack. We can't quit."

Ortega pursed his lips. "We thought about that."

"Well, obviously you didn't," Cyborg said with a snort. "Else you would have never said such a stupid thing."

Twain leaned back against the chair he was sitting in. "You're dropping your rank as the Teen Titans, but there will be heroes here. We discussed it with Aqualad, Bumblebee, and that whole group. They're more than willing to help. And, so no one is suspicious why the mighty titans are replaced with five unknown super heroes, we've got friends in the newspaper business. The world thinks that the titans are on vacation, and are being temporarily replaced by five other heroes around the world. A little white lie, but no harm done."

"But the crime ratings will sky rocket!" Cyborg yelled.

"Yes, that's why police forces will be staked out all over the city."

"Oh, so now you decide to help," Beast Boy muttered, slouching down farther. His knees bumped Raven's but he ignored the jolt of chemistry that sent lightning burning in his veins.

Waylin glanced down. "We have enrolled you in Jump City Private School and you'll be staying—"

"What the hell? First, you come in here with this huge plan that could kill any of us, then you tell as that we can't be the titans anymore, and now you're enrolling us in a private school?" Robin clenched his fist together.

"How about you shut up and let us finish what we need to say, hmm?" Twain stood in front of them with his arms crossed.

"Yeah, we've enrolled you in a school and we have arranged places for you to stay for the time being. We even have cars rented for you, thanks to the mayor. We discussed it with the mayor and he thinks it best. He is pretty sure this guy has his stepdaughter, so he's willing to shell out the money. If you'd think about it, it'd be for the best. I've already said that if this man took the bait and followed them, he'd be brought here and everything would be ruined. But, if you had normal teen lives', like attending a private school, then it would throw suspicion off. We've already planned schedules around your attitudes and that mayor has already rented apartments for you, big, expensive ones. Separately. You will be on opposite side of the town."

"I can't even believe this. It doesn't make sense." Beast Boy whimpered and rubbed his throbbing head.

"Information too much for your puny brain?" His eyes snapped to Raven's in a glare. "Why don't you shove it up your as—"

"We have also decided that it would be better if someone lived in the same area. Logan, you're room is right next to Raven, am I correct? And Grayson, you're next door to…" Twain trailed off, remembering that he had never asked either girls names_. I guess I should know the girls names since I'm practically sending them to the deathbeds, _Twain thought with an inward sneer.

"Starfire." She offered, tucking her hands between her knees.

"Yes. We have already prepared the rooms. If something were to go wrong, then," he turned his black gaze to Robin and Beast Boy, "you could be there in nothing flat."

Robin let out an aggravated sigh. "How can you just throw this on us so quickly? How did you even work all this out in a matter of two days?"

Waylin and Ortega exchanged look while Twain kept his gaze on the teens. He turned those bright black eyes to his partners, waiting for them to tell. He was already on the teens' bad list. Why make it worse when you had two other people in the room to do your dirty work?

Waylin sighed, rubbing his hands over his eyes. "We talked this over months ago. When this guy first struck. We couldn't find one trace of this lunitic. Not even the top investigators have found a single lead. This guy knows what he is doing. But we dug up some tapes when we read the article about you defeating the Hive academy for the hundredth time, and decided that we needed you. We started planning everything…hoping, no, praying, that you would help. And since you are, well, we had to tell you our plans. To make a long story short, you'll be living the life of ordinary teens."

"Yeah, but—" Twain cut Beast Boy off with a glare.

"We will leave our plans for that day in the mail box. You'll walk out at night until around twelve o'clock, and then go back if you are unsuccessful. You—"

"Yes, but we have school, remember? You expect us to go to school from eight o'clock in the morning and get out at three thirty, spend about two hours on book reports, and then hit the road hoping a psychotic man picks up and tried to rape us?"

"You'll just have to get used to it."

"Uh, I have a question…" Twain glanced at Beast Boy with narrowed eyes. "Uh, I'm supposed to be involved in this, like attending school and such, right?"

Ortega nodded. "Yes."

"Uh, then how the hell am I supposed to go to a private school _green_?"

Twain blinked, now noticing how green he actually was. "Uh…umm…"

"Actually, they have a thing where you can dye one's skin…" All eyes turned to Darcy, who hunched her shoulders and blushed.

"Really?" Beast Boy grunted. "And why did I not know this?"

"Green makes you what you are, yadda, yadda." Raven said in a bored tone, earning a sharp glance from Beast Boy.

"And where do I fit in to all this?" Cyborg asked.

"We…don't know…we never thought about that," Waylin admitted sheepishly.

Cyborg stood up and stormed to the door. "Why does everyone leave me out? I'm always the one that ends up alone, or the one everyone forgets to add into the cool adventures. Hell, there are two girls in this stupid tower and the other two guys are already on the prowl. Why must I be alone?" Cyborg kept on mumbling things like that all the way to the hallway, while the rest of the teen burned with embarrassment.

"Hmm," Twain mumbled, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, you start school on Monday, and after we spruce you up a bit, you'll transfer all your belongings to the apartments today. Darcy?"

She stepped forward, her hands clasped before her. "Yes sir?"

"I suggest you get started. Try the green boy first."

Suddenly, her innocent air disappeared, replaced with mischief. "It would be my pleasure."

Beast Boy's eyes widened. "Oh, no. No way. I am not doing this." He almost jumped up but Twain and Raven, of all people, grabbed him under the arm and dragged him to his bedroom. Raven froze outside his door way and one side of Beast Boy kept moving while the other stayed at rest. "Hey, dudes! Watch it! I'm not elastic!"

"We cannot let her work on a wreck like that. How about…"

"Raven's room." Beast Boy offered.

She opened her mouth to disagree, but Twain said, "Good, fine. Lets just hurry. We don't have all day and we need to make sure that nobody will recognize you all. Now, do you where your hair up or down when seen out in public?"

"Usually up, why?"

"Juts needed to know to tell Darcy. How about the other one?"

"Her hair is always down."

"Good."

"Why?"

"Just making conversation."

She threw him a glance, then looked down at Beast Boy, who was staring at her with sneer. He was limp in their arms, his butt off the ground and his feet dragging. "How can they change me from green to a human color? I have never even heard of such a thing…is it possible? Will I have to go through surgery? Will it be temporary? Maybe it will be forever. But I won't be green. I will be different…will ya'll still like me of I'm not green? What color will I be? Tan? Brown? White? Will they change my hair color? Maybe it'll be red. No. Black. Maybe even brown. Blonde? Ewwh, hopefully not."

Twain rolled his eyes and glanced at Raven. "Does he talk like this all the time?"

Raven sighed. "Yes. He does."

"I wonder what all you'll have to change. Are they gonna cut your hair?"

"No," Twain sighed, letting Raven lead the way to her room. He just now noticed that Darcy and Marty followed them, grinning. "All the victims had long hair. If she does cut it, it'll just be a trim."

"I was thinking that we should perm her hair and color it black." Darcy said, smiling politely when Raven cut a glance at her. "Perm?"

"Yes. I don't know what I'll do to the other ones hair…or eyes, for that matter. Her entire eye is green. Not human, at all. And you can't fix that. Anyways, I changed my mind. I'll perm the other ones hair and leave the color alone, but I'll dye yours. Same with, ah, Beast Boy. Robin, well, all he had to do is take off that mask and he's fine. But Beast Boy'll take the longest, so, yeah." Darcy studied them both, her mind already figuring out what she was going to do.

"All my things are in my car." Darcy mumbled, wondering what she was going to do with Beast Boy's hair. Maybe a wind-blown, preppy look…

"I'll get it." Twain said. Raven stopped in front of a door marked _Raven_. Twain said dully. "Well, I figure this is your room."

"Why can't we do this in Starfire's room?" Raven asked monotone, but her voice held a hint of aggravation.

"Because…I like your room better. Its dark interior matches my mood." Beast Boy glanced up at her with a grin. "And it pisses you off."

Darcy leaned close to Marty and whispered, "They are so cute together."

Marty smothered a chuckle. "They do say opposites attract, you know. And they are defiantly opposites. But I have to agree. They are adorable."

"I have animal hearing, you know. I can hear what your saying and you are completely off. Raven is not even my polar opposite. She's…not even in the category." His shoulder his the floor hard. "Ouch!" He jerked his other arms from Twain's grasp and rubbed his shoulder where Raven had so rudely dropped him.

"Enjoy." Raven said, walking off. After getting an eyeful of her backside, he sneered at her. "Bitch."

"Portentous ass." He recoiled, as if struck, then regained his dignity and walked into her room. Darcy followed, trying not to laugh. This was going to be more fun then she could have imagined.

X x X

"I'm…tan…with brown hair…I look…human…" Beast Boy studied himself in the mirror, unable to believe it. He looked normal. He wasn't green anymore. His skin was a light tan and his hair was a dark, chocolate brown. "So, is this stuff temporary?"

"Umm, no. I bleached your skin. Your stuck with that color for a while."

Beast Boy shook his head in wonder. He plucked at a piece of dark brown hair and inspected it. "I can't believe it. This…shouldn't even be humanly possible. It's not possible. This is just… warped."

"Yep. But why question it? You look human. You're not green. Your tan."

"But I'm not green. It's like I'm not…me. My team thinks of me as the green teen, but now I don't even have green hair…whoa…so…_all of me_ is tan. _Everything_?"

She grinned. "Yep."

"Dude, I don't even want to think about that." He gave on last look in the mirror. "Are you sure this isn't some sort of hologram or something?"

"No. This is you. Beast Boy."

He bit his lip. _What will Raven think?_

X x X

When Beast Boy walked in, Raven's couldn't hold back the astonishment. He looked so different…human, actually. Hell, who could have thought that Beast Boy would turn out to be a, in girl terms, a gorgeous hunk? Was it true? Was she actually salivating over Beast Boy? What was the world coming to if Raven, an emotionless demon, was drooling over someone like Beast Boy?

"You are no longer green." Starfire said, confused. "How did she manage that? I am still unfamiliar with Earth terms, but this seems…impossible."

"I said the same thing too. I shouldn't be possible, but, hey, I'm not green anymore, so I'm not complaining. Your turn, Star."

She chewed on the inside of her lip, glancing at Robin, as if seeking comfort. She did not want to do this. If they could alter Beast Boy's look in under four hours, then what would they do to her?

Robin laid a hand on hers. "Don't worry. It wont take too long." Truth be told, Robin was dying to know what Darcy was going to do.

She nodded and followed Darcy. Darcy stopped with a smile. "Robin, you are free to come. She does not seem to comfortable with the idea, so you can come to…comfort her." Robin jumped up quickly and followed them. Raven rolled her eyes, burying her nose in her book and trying to push out the hormonal thought that stampeded through her head…about Beast Boy, nonetheless.

Cyborg walked around Beast Boy, astonished. "Dude! I can't call you grass stain anymore! This sucks! And, you are so not green. Can people actually do that? Is that possible? Is this just a hologram?" Cyborg poked his arm rapidity. Beast Boy slapped his hand.

"I don't want to think about it. I was in there for hours and dosed off, and the next thing I knew, I wasn't green. She says it's not temporary." Beast Boy sat next to Raven and the couch bounced.

"I don't feel right. I mean for as long as I can remember, I was green. Now…I'm not."

"Hey, at least now you can chase even more girls. The ones who didn't want you when you were green."

"Your right. Now, maybe, I can have any girl I want."

"Good luck with that," Raven muttered, her eyes scanning the words, but not taking them in. She had no idea was this feeling was, but she had an idea: jealousy.

"Bite me."

"No thank you."

"It wasn't an offer." Beast Boy glowered to hide his discomfort. He folded his arms across his chest to keep from staring at his tan hands. _I don't feel right. I mean I'm not me anymore. Yeah, I'm still Beast Boy, but being green was…me, who I am. I mean was. I don't feel special anymore, like I'm unique. I wanted to be different, unlike like everyone else. Now, I am like everyone else. I still don't see how it is even possible. It shouldn't be. Maybe I'm dreaming and this is just a nightmare. _

Raven looked over at Beast Boy and noticed he was in another world. She snapped her fingers in front of his eyes, taking pleasure in his jump.

"What was that for?"

"Nothing." She took the time to study his from head to foot, taking in every change. Not only was his skin tan, but his hair was different also. A dark chocolate, it was cut so that it spiked up. A stubborn strand fell into his forest green eyes and he jerked his head to move it. He glanced quickly at her and then did a double take, noticing she was studying him.

"Find anything you like?" He pushed back the urge to slouch farther down and blush. She hadn't paid this much attention to him…ever. All he ever got from her was a quick glance here and a witty remark there. Now, she was studying him like a portrait.

She met his gaze and held it. "Not really. It is just hard to believe you are no longer…green."

"I know." He arched his back and stood up. "I am so sick of sitting. I'm going to go for a walk. Wanna join me, Rae? It won't be long before you're sitting in a chair letting that woman slap goo on your hair. It might help to walk around before your poked and prodded by a stupid comb. You'd think that she would be a little more gentle with a brush, considering her career."

Raven shrugged and laid the book down gently. "I'll get my coat." After sliding on a black hoody over her long sleeved _Slip Knot_ shirt, she walked to the hallway to make her way to the front entrance. Beast Boy had already made it to the beach, but she could not find him. After walking around, she spotted him sitting on a cluster of rocks.

With a sigh, she slid her hands into the front pockets of her sweater and walked over to him.

"I feel weird." He mumbled his hands tucked in his jacket pockets.

She sat down next to him, but with enough room between them to sit an elephant.

"Because your not green?"

"Yeah. Everyone had always known me as 'grass stain' or 'green boy' or something along those lines. But now I'm not green. Will that change everything? Will it all stay the same?" He sighed, his breath puffing around him. "I liked who I was, even if I was green. I wish this stuff was just temporary, but it's not. I'm stuck like this. Forever."

"Just because you're a different color doesn't mean you're a different person. You're still Beast Boy, inside and out. Nothing has changed except your outward appearance."

The sun beat down on them, tossing shard of light off the sea and into their eyes. Raven squinted against the beams of light and brought her knees up to her chest, tucking them under her sweater.

"I always come to you to vent my problems, have you noticed?"

Raven watched him from the corner of her eye. "Yes. I have."

"I don't know why either. I guess it's because Cyborg would make a joke out of it. Robin would probably be too busy and Star wouldn't understand. But, then again, you don't care."

"That's not true."

"You know it is. You can't feel, remember? You shouldn't care. Especially when these are my problems were dealing with."

"Hmm."

"Do you plan on being alone the rest of your life?" He asked casually, stretching, and then laying back against the cold rocks.

"What kind of question is that?" She asked with a glare.

"I was just wondering." He paused. "Well, do you?"

"That is none of your business, Beast Boy."

"I didn't mean it as an insult or anything. I just don't understand why anyone would want to be alone."

"I don't," she mumbled to herself but Beast Boy caught it.

"Obviously you do. Because all you do is push people away. You must want to be alone."

"Mind your own business, Beast Boy," Raven snarled, her look lethal.

"It is my business when I'm the one you're pushing away."

Her startled glaze collided with his. Then narrowed. "What does that mean?"

"Whatever you want it to mean. You won't know my reason, so make up your own. That way, we're both happy."

He grinned, raising his head and pulling up his hood over his head. "I'm gonna take a quick nap since I was so rudely awoken this morning."

"That's a sign for me to high tail it, right?"

"Wow, you're good."

"Shut up, Beast Boy." She stood up, dusting herself off. With a sneer down at him, she headed back toward the tower.

"Oh, and Rae?"

"What?"

"I loved my wake up call."

Raven blushed all the way back to the tower.

X x X

"It is…different," Starfire said, tugging on a curl. It bounced back like a spring around her shoulder. Robin watched it, transfixed.

"I made sure the curls are lose." Darcy said, fluffing her hair and arranged it around her shoulders, proud of her work. "I know the smell is horrible, but you'll get used to it. You can wash your hair in twenty-four hours, but not before. Okay? And I'll come by everyday at seven to do your makeup and hair and I'll be back around six to spruce you up a bit. We don't want to go overboard with the makeup, so lip-gloss and eyeliner will do. Since you have an orange tint to your skin, well just apply a tan lotion in the morning. It has no smell and last all day. It, surprisingly, will not make your skin orange…well, more so than you already are. But you have perfect skin, so you have nothing to worry about. The eyebrows are just…well, there's nothing I can do about that. And your eyes are completely green, so I can't change that either. We can stick glasses on you and maybe that'll help a little. If anyone asks, say you have a…disease or something, or maybe it's just the glasses, 'kay? Umm…let's see…is there anything else?" She figured everything up in her head, counting off on her fingers. "Ah-ha! Nails! How can I forget? I have to do nails!"

She snatched Starfire's hand and o_ohed_ and _awhed_ over it. Star threw Robin a 'help me' glance. He smiled at her, sitting crossed-legged on the floor. He braced his arms behind him and leaned back. She did look different, more so than he thought possible. And he had the wildest urge to tug on a curl and watch it spring back. Star had looked really, really good with just straight, long hair, but with long, curly hair, she would be beating men off with a stick…while, he, on the other hand, would beat then to their graves. He would not let anyone have her, touch her, look at her, get too close to her. _Jeez, I sound like a jealous boyfriend. Hell, you would think I had a thing for her. _He groaned inwardly. _Okay, so maybe I do. But that doesn't mean anything. I'm just really attracted to her physically, not emotionally. Sure, she sweet and really easy to talk to, and the innocence is a real relief, but other than that, all I'm interested in is the chemistry between us…physical chemistry, that is. Nothing gooey and gushy and life altering. _

"I have to say I really hate you."

"What have I done to cause your dislike of me?" Starfire asked, confused.

Darcy laughed. "Oh, no, honey. It's just a saying. It means I'm jealous of you."

"Why?"

"You just seem…perfect."

Starfire glanced down at her hand, which Darcy was still studying. "I am far from perfect."

"Yeah. Perfection is boring."

Starfire raised an eyebrow. "So, in terms, you are calling me boring?"

Darcy paused, then threw back her head and laughed. "You're a smart one. But no, I'm not calling you boring. You're far from it. Instead of being annoyed by your innocent questions, I find them highly—"

"Endearing?" Robin offered, causing both women to turn and stare at him. A lose curl fell over Star's shoulder and he watched its descent.

"Exactly." Darcy dug through her huge, bright green bag and pulled out the things she would need for the nails.

"Since your nails are already long, I'll just slap some strengthener on and do a quick French manicure. The only problem with your nails is that they're chipped and uneven, so I'll fix that. And then, after that, Marty'll take over and get your measurements."

"I think white would suit her best. It's an innocent color and it bound to get attention. White and purple…" Marty said, pulling out a pen and writing on a blue tablet. "Since you have uniforms that you wear everyday except for Fridays, you wont need much to wear. I'll come by at seven and five to pick out your wardrobe, but again, since you have uniforms, I'll only be by at seven on Fridays. You won't be wearing your uniforms at school and won't be walking around in them…"

Starfire wrinkled her nose at the smell of the nail polish, and want to gag. The 'perm' left the worse smell in the room, and luckily, for Raven's sake, they had done the work in Star's room.

Darcy glanced up with a quick smile. "I know. It reeks. But you'll get used to it."

"What size shoe do you wear, hon?" Marty asked, tapping his pen in the tablet.

"A size ten, I think."

"Okay."

"All set. Let your nails dry, then head over to Marty. Robin, since you're already in here, sit down where Star was."

His eyes narrowed. "What do you plan on doing?"

"We have to make sure no one will know who you are, so we just have to do a little altering."

Hesitantly, he stood up, aware that Star was watching him. She gave him an encouraging smile.

Darcy pushed his shoulder down when he refused to sit. "We'll have to take off the mask. Is it glued, or tied, or what?" Darcy held a pair of scissors in her hand and he grimaced. "I'll do it."

He reached for the mask but froze. "Does everyone have to watch me?"

The mumbled an apology and turned their back to him, giving him privacy. Truth be told, he didn't remember his eye color. Yeah, he would trade out every day or two, but he never looked in a mirror when he did it, only when he was finished.

He peeled the mask off. When the air touched the skin where the mask had been, he grimaced, hating the feeling. It felt…weird, knowing that he no longer had a mask on. He rubbed his eyes, hoping there were no marks, and opened his eyes, just to see people gawking at him. "What?"

No one answered him; they just kept gawking, and he immediately thought something was embarrassingly wrong. "Give me a mirror." Like in a trance, Darcy handed him the mirror.

He examined his face in every angle, but could find nothing wrong. The mask had left faint lines, but other than that, everything seemed to be normal. "What is everyone staring at?"

"Your eyes."

He raised an eyebrow. "They're just eyes."

"I've never seen a color like that." Marty said and leaned in closer to examine his eyes. "They don't even look human."

"They look like…oh, what's that anime cartoon that comes on Adult Swim? Oh, yeah, right. You have eyes like that Inuyasha character. Expect yours are somehow…lighter. I've seen dark gold eyes, but not like this. Yours are almost…white gold. Now why would you want to hide eyes like this?" Darcy asked, putting her hands on her plump hips.

"Uh…" What was their problem? They were just eyes, nothing more. Darcy shook her head and grabbed a pink cloth. Dipping it in a cream, she handed it to Star. "Do me a favor and rub this on those lines. I need to find that stupid balm."

Starfire took it, blushing, and gently outlined a line with the cloth. He jumped as the cold cream touched him, then settled. Her touch was surprisingly gentle and calming. A curl fell over her shoulder and he couldn't help it. He tugged on it and watched it bounce. Like a child with a new play toy, he grabbed the curl again and pulled on it until it was straight, then let it bounced back.

He glanced up at Star, and, with a blush, cleared his throat and folded his hands in front of him.

She grinned, and then returned her eyes to her work. She could not get over the fact that she was seeing the color of Robin's eyes. She had always expected them to be brown or maybe even blue, but never gold. She had never seen a human with eyes like his. They were, in terms, absolutely beautiful. Framed by unbelievably long, dark eyelashes, they drew countless people.

"There." She pulled back top study her work, searching for any places she missed, and finding none, folded the cloth. She glanced down at Robin, only to find him staring at her. She then realized that she was standing between his legs and blushed, pulling back.

"Found it!" Darcy shouted, making both teens jump guiltily. "Now, all I have to figure out it how to do your hair."

"It's fine the way it is." Robin snarled. It had taken years to grow his hair this long and no one was going to touch it.

"Ooh, someone's touchy. Fine, it'll leave it like it is. Well, then, I guess you're through. Go fetch Raven for me, will you?" She asked Robin, herding Star over to Marty, who held a thin measuring tape in his hands.

"Sure," Robin said, rolling his eyes. With one last look at Star, he walked out the door.

X x X

"Dude, your mask! It's gone!" Cyborg yelled and leaned toward Robin to study his eyes. "Cool! I've never seen a color like that! Dude, that's awesome. Oh, and guess what?"

"What?" Robin asked, trying to sidestep Cyborg. "I get to help!"

"Really? How?"

"Well, remember that ring I made that allowed me to look human?"

"Yeah." Robin sat down in a chair, grabbing the newspaper beside him.

"Well, Twain asked if I still had it and I said yeah, that I made about three of them, and he said that he was enrolling me in school and that I could help stake out with the police. Incase someone robs a bank or something, their gonna allow me to help. I get a cool uniform and everything. So, I go to school with ya'll, and then go undercover as a policeman at night. I feel special."

"That's great. Where will you be staying at?"

"They're letting me stay with one of the policemen. His name is Billy Worthington and I'm bunking at his house. He lives with his two year old daughter, but that's all I have to worry about."

Ortega smiled, as if he held a big secret. "Billy'll really surprise you, Cyborg."

Cyborg shrugged and sat down next to Raven. "Where's none green boy?"

"Outside. Sleeping."

"Oh, they're ready for you, Rae." Robin said, flipping through the newspaper.

"Oh, what joy." Raven muttered and stood up and walked to the hallway. "They're in Star's room, but they'll herd you to the bathroom to do your hair."

"Great."

"Hey, Rob, you ready for me to kick your butt again at Madden Football?"

Robin glared, already grabbing a controller. "I will beat you this time, Cy."

"Yeah, when hell freezes over."

X x X

"Black it defiantly your color." Darcy said, fingering Raven's now black hair.

"Wow."

"I had to give you bangs to hide that jewel, but if anyone asks, say it's a tattoo."

"Whatever."

"I've pained your nails black."

"I haven't noticed." Raven said sardonically, examining her long, black nails.

"What bug crawled up your butt?" Darcy muttered, putting all of her supplies in her bag.

"Come here, and let me measure you." Marty said, waving her over.

Reluctantly, Raven levitated over to him and let the man circle her and measure her with that stupid tape measurer.

After everything was done, Marty practically ran to the main room to take the guys' measurements.

Twain walked into her room without knocking and dropped about twenty huge boxes down. "Start packing."

He walked out before Raven could glare at him, and, with a heavy sigh, she started to pack her books.

X x X

I know. Not the most eventful chapter, but I just wanted to say how they looked and stuff. About Beast Boy…I have no idea how she made him brown. It was just for the story line and…yeah. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Until next time!


	6. Chapter Five: January 7th

"Whoa." Raven said, staring at her new living quarters. "I thought you said this was an apartment, not an entire house."

"It is an apartment." Twain said, dropping the box by the huge doorway. "It's just a enormous apartment."

"It has stairs."

"Yep. It's more of a condo than anything." High, beige ceilings towered over them; the room about the size of two floor of the Titan Tower. Stylish furniture littered the room, mostly white leather, professional paintings scattered everywhere, most of them dark and angst. To the right, a long, marble oval bar separated the main room, light blue egg barstools pressed against it, the kitchen behind it huge, with state of the art kitchenware. A wide, two-step wooden staircase led to the living room where a cold hearth and large screen TV laid with a beige shag carpet covering the polished wooden floor.

"Uh, yeah."

"Logan is right next to you, so if you have any problems—"

"I won't have any problems."

Twain rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Can you drive?"

"When I'm allowed. Cyborg taught all of us when we were sixteen. Though Starfire started to learn when she was fifteen. She didn't understand anything."

"Do you have a driver's licenses?"

"We're the Teen Titans. We don't have driver's licenses. If anyone was to drive, it was Cyborg."

"Well, then we have to get you one."

"We don't have a car." Raven started to wonder around the huge apartment, opening and shutting doors, running a finger across the dustless furniture.

"Yeah, you do."

Raven turned to him with a glare. "Yeah, right. We get this huge apartment, and then a Lamborghini. Sure, and I'm outgoing."

"We'll bring them by later on today. It's nothing special and you and Logan will have to share. You'll have to take him to school and the other way around."

Raven finally noticed the huge bookcase on the far wall. She walked down the two wooden steps that lead to the huge living room and stared at the white shelf, filled with thousands of books. "I think I can get used to this." Plucking a book from the shelf, she walked to the huge, stuffed white chair and curled up in it.

"Raven, this is just awesome." Beast Boy bounded in with a huge grin. "My place is huge! I can so get used to living like this. I might not want to go home when this is over." He jumped over the long stairs and plopped down on the huge white couch with colorful throw pillows.

"This is so comfortable." He stretched out, laying a pillow under his head.

"Why don't you go home and get comfortable there?"

He flipped over on his stomach and watched her. "I came over here to help you out. All my things can wait until later." A lock of dark hair fell in his eyes, but he just left it there.

Twain made a mock, dreamy sigh. "How sweet." He sobered instantly. "I'll bring the rest of the boxes up and let him do the rest. By the way, your names are in the mail box."

"But—"

"I'll leave everything by the door. Good luck. Remember we'll leave messages in the mailbox, okay? Check every hour or so just incase something comes up." He walked out, leaving Beast Boy and Raven alone.

"So, when do we get started?"

"_We_ don't. I'll unpack everything and do it myself. I don't want you touching my things."

He stood up and chucked a pillow at her. "You know what? I don't know why I even try to help your sorry ass. I feel for the man you end up with, which, thank God, will never be me." He stalked out and, with a sneer at her, slammed the door.

She threw the pillow on the couch with a muffled curse. "Damn him. Why would I want to be with him anyway?"

She stalked over to the boxes, dragging things out and started to arrange everything where she wanted it. She didn't need his help. She could do this all on her own.

Her door slammed open and Beast Boy waltzed in and sprawled on the couch. "You know what? I'm gonna sit here and watch everything you do just to piss you off. I will follow you into every room, poke and prod at your belongings, break a few things here and there, and wart you because of that stick up your butt."

"Get out."

Beast Boy threw a smug grin at her and started to dig through a box she had kicked by the couch. "Ooh, interesting." He started to toss a glass figurine of Cerberus, from Greek Mythology, in the air like a ball. "Hope I don't _accidentally _break it. It's so pretty." He chucked it up in the air where there was no way he could catch it, and his put his hand to his mouth in mock horror. "How clumsy of me!"

Raven caught it with her telekinesis and Beast Boy _tsked_. "Can't use your powers, Rae. It's against the rules." Raven moved the figurine close to her with a sneer. "Get out."

"Nope."

"Beast Boy."

He stood up and walked around, poking through everything. "That's my name, don't wear it out. Ooh, what is this?" He grabbed a book and started to flip through it, almost ripping the pages. He turned his back when she dived for it, and her front hit his back.

He lifted the book when she reached around him and tried to grab it. "This book must be centuries old. It must be worth a good hundred or two, maybe even close to a thousand. Wouldn't want this to tear, now would we?"

"Give it here, Beast Boy." He detected a hint of apprehension in her voice and grinned.

"Uh, no way." He threw the book down on its spine and turned around. Now facing her, he leaned forward and reached for another book. The action made her bend back and he desperately wished she had fallen.

"Ooh, a dark romance. Who would have thought that Raven would read a romance? Well, you do learn something new everyday." Crushing her to him, he read the book, which was behind her back. He leaned his head over her shoulder to read the printed words. His upper arms pinned hers to her side while he read, and he could practically feel the heat of her blush. Hell, he could practically feel _everything_.

"Hmm, pretty interesting. You've got demons and vampires and men and women doing filthy things. Raven, I am shocked to know you read such, dirty, dirty things."

She fought to get lose, but he was stronger. He flipped though some more pages, scanning the text. He gave an over exaggerated gasp. "Raven, this is like a porn book! It goes way in to detail. Whoa, this book should be rated NC-17! _Tsk, tsk_."

"Let me go, Beast Boy." Humiliated, she tried to kick him. He slid his legs between her and flipped through some more pages. "It goes into detail for like…seven pages. Jeez! Who'd a thunk? This is actually really interesting. How many more of these books do you have? I might want to borrow some."

"Let me go!" She fought again, trying to wriggle her way out of his grasp, but he held on tighter.

"I think I should examine some more of these books." He leaned down again, practically bending her backward. He placed a hand at the small of her back as he reach for another book. Now, completely unbalanced, they crashed to the floor.

With a muffled oath, Beast Boy managed to untangle himself from Raven. "Well, that was interesting, book and fall. I don't know which I enjoyed more…the porn book or throwing you off balance. And you're surprisingly soft. I would have thought you would feel like metal armor. Cold and rigid."

"You jerk." With her hands free, her elbow collided with his mid section as she scrambled up. He grunted in pain, but he was not through with her.

He hopped up, more slowly than usual, and followed her everywhere she went. With an annoyed growl, she whirled on him. "What will it take for you to leave me alone?"

He stopped, tapping his long finger against his mouth. "Hmm…let me think…" He glanced up and to the side and gave a heavy sigh. "Let's see…how's about a kiss?"

She blushed, moving away from him. He followed, virtually on her heels. "In your dreams."

"Fine then. I'll just follow you around the rest of the day. Who knows, I might even stay in your room while you sleep."

"You're deranged."

"Sure am."

She turned on him and he ran into her. His hand shot out to steady her, wrapping around her arms. She stomped on his booted foot when steady and backed up. "What if I let you help me around here? Will that work?"

He glanced up at the ceiling. "Hmmm…."

She waited for his reply impatiently. Moving as quickly as possible, he crushed his mouth against her, slamming her shocked body against his. His kiss became softer, gentler, but she still didn't know what to do. Kiss him back or ram her knees between his legs. Decisions, decisions.

Before she could do anything, Beast Boy pulled back, pressed his lips against hers softly again, and headed for a nearby box. "Okay. I'll help."

Raven pushed down the urge to give into her weak knees and slide down the wall, and headed for the nearest box.

XxX

Starfire hefted her bed out of the truck with skilled ease, not even thinking about doing it. Robin popped up in front of her, motioning for her to put it down.

"What is the matter, Robin?" She asked throwing her long ponytail back over her shoulder.

"Star, you can't do things like that."

"Like what?"

"Like lifting a bed with only one arm. That is not human. Big, huge, gigantic men have trouble doing that. Just, grab small boxes and move that in. No more lifting hundreds of pounds of furniture, okay?"

She nodded, reaching for a huge box, then another, and another, placing them on top of each other in her arms. He rolled his eyes, grabbing the closets box to him, and herded it up to her new living quarters. "You still manage to surprise me." Robin said as he dropped the box and pressed the elevator button.

"Why is that? You have known me for years now."

He smiled, pushing the box with his foot into the elevator while adjusting his dark sunglasses. "You're just not like other women."

"Is that a bad thing? Should I be like other women? Will men like me more if I was more like other women?"

His eyes narrowed behind his shades at the mention of 'men'. "You're fine the way you are, Star. Don't change."

"But if I don't want to be alone the rest of my life, I should change."

He sighed, leaning against the elevator wall. "You won't be alone, Star."

She raised an eyebrow. "And can you tell the future?"

"No. It's just someone like you is bound to be with someone."

"Someone like me?"

"I'm just going to shut up. I'm just digging myself in a hole I'll never get out of." The elevator bounced, then the door opened and Robin and Starfire walked out, arms full of boxes.

One of the boxes Star held fell into her line of vision and before she could move it, she was knocked back, boxes crashing to the floor. Hoping she had not just run into the wall, she leaned up on her elbows and glanced around.

A boy around her age sat up, rubbing his head, books scattered around him. He pushed his glasses up his nose, finally noticing her. His blue eyes widened and he jumped into a never-ending apology. "Oh, I am so very, very sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going. I was too busy reading a book title. I am so, so, so sorry. Here, let me help you." He scrambled up on his knees, reaching for his books.

"Do not worry about it. It was my fault. I couldn't see over the boxes." The boy stood up and offered a hand. He dropped it quickly when he noticed Robin's lethal death glare behind his glasses.

"Umm, hi. I'm Jonathan. I live just around the corner. I'm guessing you're new, huh?"

"Good guess," Robin said sardonically, helping Star to her feet. Jonathan watched her dust her wind-pants off with something akin to wonder.

Robin growled. Jonathan snapped out of his trance and blushed. "Are you two married?"

Robin's wide eyes were Jonathan's answer. He chuckled. "Siblings, perhaps?"

"No. We just met today. He is just helping me unpack." The lie came out so easily Star was surprised at herself.

Robin raised an eyebrow at her. "Uh, yeah. I think our apartments are next to each other."

"What rooms?"

"268 and 270 I think."

"Yep. I'm two 266 myself. So, what's your name?"

Robin and Starfire froze. What were they supposed to call themselves?

"Yo, people! Come get the rest of your crap!"

Waylin walked out of the elevator with an envelope tucked under his arm. He shoved the paper in Starfire's hand. "I charge by the hour, so I suggest you get your junk outta there quick. You're already payin' over three hundred."

Starfire quickly opened the envelope and took out the paper. Robin leaned over her shoulder.

_Rose Skylar and Grayson Rich. Those are you undercover names from now on until the mission is over. Got it? Your school ID is also in here along with your driver's license. By the way, I wasn't the one to come up with these names. Ortega was. _

_Twain._

Robin jerked it out of her hand and wadded it up.

Waylin grunted, falling back into his rude, mover act. "Dude, that was her payment, not yours. Whadda ya gonna do? Pay it for 'er? Go right ahead. As long as I get the money, I'm as right as rain. Now put your crap in your apartment and start unloadin'."

Robin muttered something and picked up one of the boxes Star had dropped. "Lets get this over with."

Star started to pick up boxes, smiling at Jonathan when he started to help. "You do not have to help me."

He smiled shyly. "I want to."

Robin's eyes narrowed into nothing more than slits.

"Hurry up!" He bit out, his mood darkening even more when Starfire laughed at something that dork said. Ooh, he already hated that jerk! How dare he talk to her. And, lucky him, Jonathan lived right next door to her. How could Star even talk to a guy like that? She was too good for a dweeb like Jonathan. She needed someone like, like…Robin!

No, that came out wrong. She needed some _like_ Robin, not him, the person. Nope. Not him at all…someone else…

Damn his jealous mind! "St—Rose!" He caught himself just in time. "Give me your key. This box is getting heavy! And your flirting is not helping either!"

He watched with a sneer as Starfire hid a grin. After sticking the key in the lock, she turned the knob and used her shoulder to get in. "We would never want the almighty Grayson to wait."

"Bite me."

"I hope you do not mean literally." Starfire said, clearing her throat when a laugh bubbled up. "I just might take you seriously." She laughed when his cheeks flooded with heat.

"Shut. Up."

"Green suits you," Jonathan said, pushing past him. Robin barred his teeth, dropping the boxes by the door. "St—Rose. Come here." He strode to her, grabbing her upper arm and herding her to the room down the hall. He pushed her in and slammed the door.

"What are you doing?"

She smiled and wondered around the huge room. "I think this shall be my room." She opened a door on the far wall and gasped. "Oh, it is a built in bathroom! It is larger than my room at the tower!" His anger faded like water down a drain. She shouldn't have this sort of power on him. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he slowly walked to the bathroom doorway, watching her touch everything, grinning when she made cute little sounds when she found another thing to spark her interest.

He smiled when she slid down into the huge, black, Jacuzzi-type tube. Her head disappeared, popping up seconds later with a dazzling grin. "Robin—"

"Grayson, remember?"

"Right. _Grayson_, come here! You can fit inside here with me! Come! Come!" She giggled, waiting for him sit down in the bathtub.

"Are you sure? I mean we'll be sitting inside a bathtub." Despite the fact that they had clothes on, the thought of being in a tub with her was enough to make his body tighten with anticipation and desire. He really shouldn't be having these feelings about his closest friend.

She sighed, bouncing up and down. "Must you question everything? Just do this one thing and I'll leave you alone…maybe."

He gave her a crooked smile that made her heart leap in her throat and walked over to her. She crossed her legs, watching as he slid his tall, sinewy frame across from her. There was still much room to spare.

She giggled again, uncrossing her legs and sliding them beside him. "I have never seen a bathing place so big. There is another little room over there," he followed her finger to the built in shower. "And a large towel cabinet right there. I wonder if your apartment is like this." She leaned back with a sigh. "I love this place already."

"This is pretty comfortable."

"Umm-hmm. I think when I am through unpacking, I will soak in here for hours."

Trying his best to push down the image, Robin glanced around. White marble tiles enclosed the floor, the walls a soft green spotted with priceless art. The bathroom counter was a bright, shiny black and a huge, oval mirror was placed above the white marble sink. Behind the mirror, a medicine cabinet was built in. The toilet was a dark black, it's body sleek and shimmering, and was located in a corner.

"Think we better get started?"

Starfire opened her eyes and nodded. "We have much work to accomplish."

"That's an understatement." But neither made a move to get up. "Okay, so maybe we can stay in here a tad bit longer." Starfire grinned, her eyes fluttering shut.

"It is still early, but I am exhausted."

"Yeah, me too." Robin watched her, and then looked away when she opened her eyes. "Is something amiss, Rob—Grayson…this will be harder that I thought. I will always want to call you Robin."

He smiled. "Yeah, it is hard. I've always known you as Star. I'll have to learn to call you Rose."

"Why would they name me after a rose?"

"Uhh, maybe because of your hair." Thousands of reason popped up into his head, all of them seeming to belong in a book of poetry. _Uh, hello! Since when have I become a poet?_

"Hmm. Maybe."

Robin turned, lifting Star's feet and placing them over his lap. He leaned back, making himself comfortable. She cracked open an eye and grinned. "We should be getting up, you know."

"You're probably right. But I really don't want to. The movers can wait, right?"

"Umm-hmm." She slid farther down with a content sigh. "I never want to move again…"

"Neither do I…But we need to. We can explore the rest of this place."

"And then we can explore yours, to make things fair. Who knows? We might try your bathtub as well."

"You have an obsession with bathtubs, don't you?"

She smiled. "A bathing place has always been my favorite spot, even in Tameran. It is where I can…let lose, as you call it. No one judges you in the privacy of your bathing time. You can think about problems, or lose yourself in a compelling novel, or even dream of your desires. It is the one time where you can be, or do, whatever you wish without the burden of what people classify you as. Sometimes, you cannot even do that in your sleep."

"I prefer showers, myself."

She opened her eyes completely and watched him. "Yes, but usually, you take thirty minutes each time."

"True." He laid his arms against her legs, leaning back farther. "It would work out so much better if we each had different bathrooms."

"Yes, it would." She sighed again, sitting up with her legs still in his lap. "We have left Jonathan in the main room."

Robin made a face that had Star chuckling. "I don't like him."

"And why is that?" She asked, leaning her head against her palm, her elbow braced on her knee.

"Because…" _You're too comfortable with him_. "I just don't. He seems to like you too much."

Her lips tilted. "So, every man that shows the least but of interest in me is—"

"A dead man, yes."

She laughed, the sound enthralling. "So, I guess that makes us even."

He raised an eyebrow, plucking at the zipper on the bottom of her black wind-pants. "What do you mean?"

"I detest every woman you talk to. Raven is the only exception. For example, Whitney."

"Oh, but how can anyone not like Whitney? She was sweet and outgoing and—"

"Phony. You obviously were not around when she talked to me."

"Hmm, you are jealous."

"Were jealous. Past tense. No longer do I burn with envy. But, the day is young."

"Well, I am honored that you are jealous of the women I have."

"But that changes nothing. You still do not wish to involve yourself with a teammate and I cannot spend the rest of my life alone. We both will have to deal with each other being with different people. I wish to start a family, Robin, and from what I know, you can't do that alone. I don't want to spend the rest of my life wishing for something that will never happen and I would never wish to hold you back. I, perhaps, will date when I am ready, and maybe end up marrying another man. You will find the right woman and maybe propose and start a family yourself, phobia or not. There are many women out there who would kill to be with you. And I promise I won't stop you, if you won't stop me. It might hurt, but I'll get through it. I don't want to end up alone and if I wish for a future with you, I will be alone." She shrugged and leaned back. "So, I guess I need to start looking for a man. Best I get started on finding someone to love me back."

Robin nodded, his eyes distant. Maybe it would be for the best…but, if so, why did his heart tighten with pain and a lump clog his throat?

She moved her feet and stood up, Robin following lead. He gnawed on the inside of his cheek, wondering if he would regret what he was about to do.

Still inside of the tub, Star glanced at him, her eyebrows drawn together. "Is something amiss, Robin?"

Not even bothering to correct her, Robin grabbed her waist and crushed her lower body to his, smothering her startled gasp with his mouth. Her body stiffened in surprise for a short instant, then relaxed.

"Robin," she breathed between kisses. "We should not be doing this."

He nipped her bottom lip with a groan. "I know." But his grip on her waist tightened and his kiss became deeper.

"Whoa, for people who just met, you two sure are close." They jumped back quickly as Jonathan's amused voice floated through the air, which seemed to hot for Star.

Robin cleared his throat, stepping away from her like she was a disease. "Uh…I'll go get the rest of the boxes." He jumped out of the tub, shoving his hands in his pockets as he walked past Jonathan. His eyes narrowed as he passed the boy and Jonathan lowered his eyes quickly, his pale face flushing red, a startling contrast to his bright orange hair.

Jonathan gave her a small smile and walked out behind Robin, wary of the well built, tall teen that could kill with one sharp glance from those unique eyes.

Starfire closed her eyes, pressing her fingers to her lips, where Robin's touch still burned. She gave a heavy sigh. "Giving him up will be harder than I thought."

XxX

After everything was unloaded and furniture was arranged, Robin checked his mailbox to see if there were any messages from Twain. He pulled out the folded sheet of paper and smoothed it out to read his high school schedule.

_1st period: Government: Mrs. Dually. _

_2nd period: English 4: Ms. Garganious_

_3rd Period: Calculus: Mr. Sterminheimer. _

_4th period: Computer Technology: Mr. Jinkens_

_5th period: Biology: Prof. Dunbar_

_6th period: Health: Coach Estess_

_7th period: Athletics: Coach. Luther _

Robin groaned. He hated school with a passion. Endless discussions and lectures, grades and tests, pushy students and grouchy teachers who were always on the look out for students to terrorize... he would give anything to avoid going to school. He already had a high school diploma. For years, the titans had had a tutor come by and teach the basics. Robin had aced everything and had 'graduated' early (he was handed a slip of paper that said he had a high school diploma) and had hoped, no, prayed, that he would never have to worry about school again.

Where the fates mad at him? Was that the reason why nothing made sense? They had to be angry with him. Otherwise, he would not be in the mess. He would be a home, in the tower, playing a video game with Cyborg or working out in the weight room. He would have never kissed Star and he would not be dealing with raging emotions that left him emotionally raw.

Their kissed slammed back into him, full force. Why had he done that? He had thought, stupidly, that if he kissed her once, then he would be fully sedated and never want to touch her again. Boy was he wrong. Now, he had to hold himself back from dishonorable urges. His hands itched to bury themselves in her hair while he took her mouth.

He was a bad, bad boy. His kissing her only made things worse. How the hell was he supposed to control himself? Could he catch himself every time he reached for her? Not even he, the composed Robin, had that much restraint, especially when it came to Starfire.

The elevator door opened and Starfire stepped out, blushing when she spotted him. "Hello…Grayson."

He smiled, couldn't help himself, when she wrinkled her nose, saying his undercover name.

"Hey. I think you have your schedule." She nodded and opened her mailbox, which bore her undercover name and apartment number. He watched her slim fingers unfold the paper and crossed his arms over his chest, his fist clenched.

Was it normal for desire to be this strong? He had never felt like this before, at least not with other women. He had cravings when Star was near before, always had since she joined the titans, but now, those urges seemed to have tripled. And he was having trouble keeping everything at bay.

"I thought we had already taken these courses before, when we had a tutor. Are we meant to take these again?"

"Yep."

She tucked the paper in her pocket, watching him. "You do not seem well. Is everything all right? Did you strain something when lifting objects? I offered to help you know, but you were being so stubborn—"

"I'm fine."

She nodded slowly, her green eyes locked with his. "If you are sure…"

"I'm sure."

She gnawed on her lip, and he suppressed a groan. "If this is about earlier occurrence that happened this afternoon—"

"It's not. Nope. I'm just…tired, that's all. But I still have to unpack."

"I can help you—"

"No!" He said quickly, too quickly, and her eyes narrowed into slits. "There is something wrong and you cannot hide it from me for long. I can be persistent when I wish it."

She shut her mailbox, watching him the entire time. "I will find out what is bothering you, and maybe I can help fix it, if it is something I can do."

"I'm sure you can," he mumbled, shoving the letter into his jean pocket.

Her eyes narrowed even more. "You know where I am if you need me…" As she walked away, she glanced over her shoulder to keep a quizzical eye on him.

When she disappeared out of sight, Robin kicked the wall, muttering a curse of pain.

Deciding that a walk might help him, he strode out of the lobby and pushed open the large French doors. The city buzzed around him, cars honking and people chattering. As he walked down the crowed sidewalk, his eyes scanned every woman that walked past him. Some smiled at him, some glared and turned up their noses', and some said wicked things that made him blush. But none of them were as alluring as Star. Maybe no one could be like her. Maybe, when he dated, they would only be second best to him.

But he could only feel for Star like a friend. It was only fair to both of them. Dating a teammate would be the downfall of them both, and Robin couldn't bear to see her hurt, emotionally or physically. Star could do so much better than him. She deserved better than him, better than what he could give her. As she said, she wanted a family, a loving husband, and Robin couldn't do that. He didn't want to be tied down to anyone. The only thing that could tie him down was his work and making sure Slade was behind bars. A he knew that if Slade ever found out that Robin cared deeply for Star, Slade would do everything in his power to take her from him.

"Grayson, wait up!"

He turned to see Starfire trying to catch up. He sighed and stopped, watching her.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Don't care."

Her eyes narrowed as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "Obviously." She was quiet, smiling when people smiled at her.

"Did I do something wrong?" She asked, grinning at a little girl holding her mothers hand.

"Why would you think that?"

She shrugged, looking both ways before crossing the street. "You just seem to be… irritated with me. I was just wondering if I did something wrong."

"No, you did nothing. It's just…"

"You want to be left alone?"

"I guess…sort of."

She nodded, turning to head the other direction. He gave an aggravated growl and grabbed her arm to stop her. "Where are you going?"

"You said you wanted to be left alone so I was going to walk the opposite direction."

"No, just…walk with me." She nodded, following behind him.

"You don't have to walk behind me, you know."

"You are annoyed with me."

"Yeah, that happens when you make me feel guilty."

"What have I done to make you feel guilty?" She asked, confused.

"Because you're too…gullible."

Her eyes narrowed. "Why do you say that?"

"I tell you I want to be alone, you walk away with out a word."

"But it is what you wanted."

"Yeah, but…you could have told me to shove it or something. You just don't…fight back."

"You wish for me to fight back verbally, correct?" He could hear the anger weaving its way into her normally sweet voice.

"Uh, I guess. Maybe."

"And when you wish to be left alone, you want me to stay and annoy you, correct?"

"You don't annoy me, Star."

"Yes, well, you hide that fact very well."

She strode off, her long legs eating up the street, and he jogged to catch up. "Okay, look, I didn't mean that. It's…unique to find a girl who doesn't fight back and I'm not used to people leaving when I want to be left alone."

"Must you compare me to every women in the universe?"

Shocked, he blinked. "I don't compare you to every girl in the universe."

"Yes, you do. First, on the moving cart—"

"Elevator."

"Of course. First, on the elevator, you said how I am not like other girls, and now that I don't fight back like other girls. To me, that sounds like you care comparing me to other girls. Why do you do that?"

He shrugged his wide shoulders. "I don't know. Habit, maybe."

"Then break it."

Surprised by her snappy tone, he paused on the sidewalk. She turned to look back at him. "What?"

"Nothing. I've noticed that I am the only one who makes you mad."

"I am not mad."

"Okay, whatever you say."

She folded her arms under her chest. Since things were so uncomfortable between then, he changed the subject. "How far have you come with unpacking?"

"Pretty far. Everything in my bedroom is set up, so I won't worry about the rest until I have to."

"Has Jonathan come back by?"

"Actually, he helped me out."

Robin glared. "Really?"

"Yes. He is very kind. He offered to take me to lunch sometime."

Robin shook with fury. "Amazing."

She stopped and laid a slim hand on his shoulder. "Robin, are you well?"

"Fine," he bit out between clenched teeth. She chewed on the inside of her lip. "I told him no."

Taken aback, Robin's eyebrows drew together. "Why?"

She sighed, walking ahead of him while he jogged to catch up. "He is sweet, certainty, but he is not what I want or need. I do not mean to be hard to please, but I want the right someone, not just anyone. At this rate, I'll never find anyone."

"You think to lowly of yourself, Star. You need to stop that. Boost your self-confidence up and you'll be surprised at all the people who really want you. I found that out the hard way."

They walked to the Jump City Park, their shoulders almost touching. The park was deserted, save for a few bundled up runners and parents trying to persuade their children to stop crying.

Star smiled, sitting down on a swing. "I find it amazing how children can have so much power over a parent."

Robin made a sound of agreement. "It's why I don't plan on having any."

She watched him from her sitting position. "I do not understand you, Robin."

He sat down next to her, stretching his long legs out. "The only person who understand me is me, and hell, even I don't know me."

She gnawed on her lip. The wind picked up, a biting cold the swirled dead leaves and made parents hold their children close against them.

Star leaned back in the swing and pushed off with her feet.

"What are you doing?" He asked, amused.

"I challenge you. Lets see who can jump from the swings farthest."

He raised an eyebrow and started to swing. "Deal. So, what do we get if we win?"

She grinned over at him. "Victor decides."

They swung as high as they could. "Alright, ready?"

He grinned. "I was born ready."

She rolled her eyes with a smile. "One the count of three. One. Two. Three!"

They both jumped, and landed on their feet gracefully…for an entire two seconds. They fell in a tangled heap on the ground, laughing.

"I won." Robin said with a grin.

"By a good inch or two. That is it. You threw me off, so I was unprepared and lost."

"You're making excuses. I won because I have longer legs and can jump farther."

She glared. "I'll win next time."

"Umm-hmm. And I thought I was a sore loser."

"I am not a sore loser." Robin rose up on his elbow and watched her, toying with a lose curl. "So, what's my prize for winning?"

"What ever you wish."

He thought it over. "Lets see…you said anything, right?"

She nodded slowly, curious.

"How about two things?"

"Two? You only won once and that was all. Why should you have two choices?"

"Because, I'm special. Now, how about two?"

"Fine, but when I win, you have to do three things. Three."

He smiled. "Deal. But, I doubt you'll be winning anything in the near future…so—"

"Robin!"

He smiled. "Grayson, remember?"

She harrumphed. "I will win someday. Now, what must I do?"

"You have to have dinner with me all week."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Have dinner with you? Must I pay, also?"

"No. You can help me cook it."

She smiled, rising up on both of her elbows. He plucked a leave from her hair and twirled it between his fingers. She glanced at him with a smile. "Okay, so I help cook your dinner and eat it with you. That's two."

"No, it's not. That's only one. I'm still deciding on my second choice." She sighed and lay back down, staring at the cloudy sky that threatened rain. "It was bright earlier. The sun was even out, but now, it looks like a thunder storm."

"I know. The weather is always changing. You never know what it has in store for us."

She nodded and turned her head to watch him. "Have you made up your mind yet?"

"Yeah. I think I have." Placing his hands on either side of her head, he bent down to press his lips against her is a slow, sultry kiss.

The he stood up, holding out a hand. "Ready to head back? I think I just heard thunder and the rain this time of year is freezing."

She took his hand in a daze, letting him pull her up. Shaking her head, she ran a hand through her hair, shaking out the leaves and dirt.

He dusted himself off, then pulled her to him, his arms around her waist. As they started to head back, it lightly started to drizzle. "Robin, what is the matter with you?"

"Whadda mean?"

"You have never…I mean…this is…" She sighed. "You have never acted like this before. You have never kissed me, or held me like this. Has the winter air messed with you logical thinking?" She asked innocently.

He chuckled. "No. I don't know what's wrong with me…"

She sighed, putting her arm around his slim back for comfort. "I am…not complaining, as Beast Boy says."

"Do you think Jonathan heard what we were talking about?"

"I highly doubt it. We took so long in there he probably worried."

"Hmm. He probably worried about your safety."

"I wonder why."

"Because you were in a room with me."

She laughed. "Yes, then. He must have been extremely worried about me for no woman can be in the same room with you without being ravished."

"Perfect," he mumbled. "Raven actually succeeded in teaching you sarcasm. And where did you learn that word? Ravish?"

"From one of Raven's romance novels."

"Raven has romance novels?"

"Yes. Big, adult romance novels."

"Whoa, like with…with sex and stuff."

"Yes. Why?"

"I forbid you to read those books. No more. I will not have your innocent mind tainted by books and movies. That is why I made sure that all the movies you watched were PG-13…but only _good_ PG-13 movies."

"Robin, you cannot tell me what to read and watch like a father to his child. I do not think that you sired me." She smiled at him, chuckling.

"Yes, I can… If anyone is to pollute your mind, it would be me, and not even I will do that. This world needs to keep some innocence in it and if we lose you to the non-innocent side, only babies and children will be innocent…and I thank God I'm not your father."

"So, are you going to go through my books and movies at take away all the dirty ones?"

"You bet. Starfire quit laughing at me. I am serious. This is not a funny matter. I am dead serious. I wont have your mind sullied."

"Robin…what if I told you it already was?"

His look of horror had her busting out laughing. "I am just joking, Robin. My mind has not yet been sullied by books, movies, men, magazines, and so on."

"I can promise you now that no man will pollute your mind while I'm around."

She gave him a bored look. "So, no man can pollute my mind?"

"Nope."

"And how will you stop them?"

"I wont allow them into your apartment. I'll have Cyborg install cameras in every room of your apartment and I will watch them as long as it takes."

"You cannot keep every man from me, Robin. I'll need to…why am I even having this conversation with you?"

"Because. No changing the subject. I've always been too shy to say this and right now appears to be the perfect time to humiliate myself. Now, we will lay down some ground rules. Okay?"

"O…kay…but this—"

"Listen to me. Here are my rules. You cannot kiss, hug, talk, have sex, touch, hold hands, have sex, invite a guy in, have sex—"

"That is the third time you have said that."

"To make my point clear…"

"Robin, unfortunately, I will have to do all that some time in my life. I cannot be an innocent for the rest of my life—"

"Yes you can."

"No, I cannot."

"Yes, you will and can."

She shook her head. "This is the…most unusual conversation I have ever had."

"And how do you even know about sex? Was it Beast Boy? Raven? Books? Movies?"

"Robin," she sighed, opening the French door to the lobby. "Why are you so worried? If I do end up doing things like kissing other men, you'll have to deal with it."

"You are totally avoiding my question. Where did you learn about—"

"I don't know what it means, but I have heard of it. Yes, I have read a few selections that contained mating, but…Robin, this is starting to get really embarrassing. Do you realize we are talking about something that has yet to happen? How about we resume this conversation when the event occurs? That way, we save ourselves from humiliation."

"Your right…that was really, really weird. And so unlike me…I don't know what got into me…can we forget this ever happened?"

She nodded. "This moment has already been erased."

"Good. It never happened."

Starfire nodded, heading for the elevator. They managed to squeeze inside the packed elevator and were pushed up against the wall. With barely enough room to breath, Robin flattened himself against the wall when an older woman threw him a flirty smile. But when her younger daughter followed her mother's gaze, Robin decided that maybe she could be the new topic of his life.

Robin made the mistake of glancing at Star, who had followed his look. She lowered her eyes quickly and watched the floor. Damnit it all! Why did he feel as though he were the scum of the earth?

_Maybe it's because I kissed her, twice, for that matter, and I'm already planning on snagging another girl. Jeez, that's low. I should have never kissed her. What if I led her on? What if she believes that we have a future together? Oh, now I've done it. I probably just ruined our friendship because of my unruly hormones. _

The elevator opened and people walked out. Now, the only ones left in the elevator were Robin, Star, the girl, and her mother.

The girl smiled at him. He managed a lopsided grin, noticing the way Star moved away from him.

The elevator stopped on their floor and Starfire practically ran out, mowing down the girl. She hit her mother, who became unbalanced, and, though she already disliked the girl, Star's hand shot out to steady them both.

Surprised at the girl's firm grip, the mother studied the kid who just saved her from embarrassment. "I am sorry." Star said quietly, walking away when the women were balanced.

Robin gave one last grin at the women and headed after Star.

"Hey! Wait! If I didn't know better, I'd think your legs are longer than mine." Robin caught up with her and walked her to her apartment, which was not far at all.

"So, are we still on for dinner?" He asked casually, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"If that is what you wish."

"Well…it wasn't my prize for nothing."

She opened her door, never glancing at him. "Did I do something wrong?" He asked hoping he didn't sound worried.

"Of course not." She finally looked at him. "Why would you think that?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Well, I guess I'll see you tonight at seven, okay?"

"All right."

"You best come. Especially when I know where you live." She shook her head at his lame comment and quietly shut the door.

XxX

Pulling into the long driveway, Ethan Matthew's turned off his car engine. He sat for a moment, tapping his tan fingers against the steering wheel. Ever since Hannah had runaway, Ethan had drowned in guilt.

It always seemed that he could never do anything right, especially when it came to her. Not only had he never treated her with the respect she deserved, but also he let his uncle beat her repeatedly without doing anything about it. Like a low life, he would stand in the next room, his eyes closed, waiting for a scream of pain or sobs. But all he ever heard was the crack of a whip against flesh. And with each crack, he would jump, as if he were the one to be beat.

He didn't see how she could stand it. He knew she had told, but no one would believe her. At school, no one paid attention to her. She was labeled as a snob, but the truth was, she was just really shy. She would sit at a table, by herself, reading or doing homework. He had always wanted to talk to her, to actually get to know her, but he let his reputation rule him. If he were ever caught talking, looking, touching her, exc., his rep would be ruined. Hell, he didn't even talk to her in the safety of his home. It wasn't that he didn't want to, no, he would have loved to, but she was either being beaten, screamed at, or when he would approach her, she would scamper away.

He had said some cruel things to her, humiliated her in front of his friends, looked at her as if she were a monster, but she just took it. No glares, or tears, or any sign of emotion. She would look him straight in the eyes when he did those things, and would walk off with her head high.

Ethan groaned and laid his forehead against the wheel. He could still remember the first time he saw her scarred back. He had not known she was home and had opened the bathroom door. She had stood with her back to him, a towel wrapped around her waist. Calmly, she had turned her head to see who was there.

But he was too horrified at her back to be embarrassed or notice her watching him. For the first time in years, he heard her talk. "Attractive, isn't it?"

She had had the deepest voice, smooth and mystical, not at all like the sound he would have thought would come from her. She had shrugged a slim, scarred shoulder and took the pins from her hair so it fell in glorious curls to her waist, obscuring his view.

"Next time, I suggest you knock." He had slammed the door quickly, heat flooding his cheeks.

His heart pounding with horror and humiliation, he had leaned against the wall with a grunt, listening to the shower running.

Her back was nothing but red, angry slashes, some scabbed, others that looked like they had not healed well. Most had been busted open more than once and nothing would have ever rid her of the scars. She would be like that for the rest of her life. And she was only fifteen.

He had pushed himself from the wall, feeling sick to his stomach. Her skin had looked so soft when he first met her, years ago, at his uncle's wedding. She had been a bridesmaid, no older than thirteen, and to him, though he was only fifteen, she had been so pretty, laughing with her mother. Her green dress with an open back had hugged her slim curves.

And the first thing he had thought was, _Her skin looks so soft. _

Ethan opened his door and made sure he slammed it. Dragging his feet, he slung his backpack over one broad shoulder and climbed up the white marble stairs to his home. Voice drifted out to his ear before his hand even touched the doorknob.

"I'm glad that troublesome bitch is gone." Recognizing his uncles brooding voice, Ethan crept in quietly and pressed his ear against the library door.

"But—"

"No buts, Charlotte. She's better off gone. You know as well as I do that she was nothing but trouble."

"She's my daughter!" Charlotte, his step-aunt, cried, her voice breaking.

"And I care because? All she did was steal my, I mean, your money."

"It was hers to begin with. Her father left it to her in his will that she—"

"Look, Charlotte, baby—"

"No."

"No, what?"

Ethan heard a chair scrapping against wood. "I should have listened to Hannah. I should have never let your touch her like that. I think it is time we get a divorce."

"Wait! Oh, baby, listen to me. This whole ordeal has got you all scared. I am trying my best to bring her back. I've rented four condos and have leased two cars just so these undercover agents can track this man down. I'm doing my best, honey. I might not like Hannah, but I'm doing this for you, because I love you," he said quietly, but Ethan knew that tome of voice. He had used it on him thousands of times when he swore he would never touch Hannah again.

His aunt sobbed. "I miss her so much. She was such a sweetie before…before I married you. She was always laughing, and had many friends. I don't see why she changed."

Disgusted, Ethan scowled at the door. What low lives. When his parents were killed years before, Ethan had no one to turn to except for his uncle. He had worshiped him, dreamed of being like him, but years of watching his uncle's mistakes had changed his outlook. Never would he wish to be like his vile uncle. And Hannah's mother was no better. She was weak; doing whatever that despicable man told her to do like some sort of slave.

Ethan jumped back into the shadows as Charlotte walked out, her shoulder drooping and her head lowered. He sneered at her back, and became on with the wall when his uncle's butler, Johansson, strutted in. Ethan had never like the man, with his arrogant looks and snobbish attitude. He was only about thirty-seven and thought himself higher than Ethan.

When the butler walked into the room that Charlotte had vacated, Ethan's blue-green eyes narrowed. They were up to something, Ethan knew, especially when Johansson had that smug look on his ruggedly handsome face.

"I can't believe I spent a million dollars on housing those undercover agents. What a waste of money. I finally get rid of the nasty little bitch, and then she turns up missing. So, like the good uncle I am, I shell out tons of money to find her! I seriously hope that man has her. Maybe, if I'm lucky, he'll rape her than kill her immediately." His uncle said, and Ethan wanted to strangle him.

"As long as Ethan never finds out—" Taking his chance, Ethan strode into the room as if he heard nothing. His uncle froze in mid-sentence as he nephew strode in.

"Hey, uncle. I just needed a book for this stupid history report." His uncle nodded, his face ashen. What all had the boy heard?

"Ah-ha. Found what I needed." He grabbed a random book of the massive polished wood shelf and walked over to his uncle to hug him. With skilled ease, he quietly picked up the key that opened his uncle's cabinets.

He pulled back with a fake grin. "See ya, uncle." He nodded, watching his nephew. The boy always managed to surprise him.

Ethan grinned, though it was hallow. If his uncle was not going to do anything to help Hannah, then by God, Ethan would.

XxX

I'll admit, the conversation with Star and Robin was a little strange, but oh well. You've probably noticed that the titans are not just the main focus of the story. I wanted to do something different, and this is my first story that doesn't deal with just romance. This is more of a suspense kind of thing, with just the right amount of romance. And, this is also the longest chapter I have ever written! 26 pages! Go me! That's why it has taken so long. And, for those of you who read my other stories, I'm trying to wrap all those up so I can focus on this one. _The Beast Within_ is still under construction, but _Is This The End?_ is finished. I just have to edit it a bit and then re-read it, so I should have the last two chapters posted. Well, until the next time!


	7. Chapter Six: January 8th

Okay, here's the deal. I know the last chapter was all about Robin and Starfire, but I'm trying to do one chapter with Star/Rob romanceand the next with BB and Raven to make things fair. This will not be just a Rob/Star thing. There'll be lots and lots of BB/Rae. (Just because I love them so much ) I just wanted to get that out in the open. There will be more BB/Rae, so do not despair! So, if you want BB/Rae, this chapter'll have it. By the way, you may notice how I've been portraying their insecurities. It's just what I think their weaknesses are and how they feel about themselves. Oh, and also, I threw in a little suprise that just popped up in my head while I was writing this.

XxX

In the late hours of night, when the town around him lay in a peaceful slumber, Ethan snuck out of his room, glancing both ways to see if the coast was clear. Finding the long hall deserted, he walked on his tiptoes quietly, flinching when the boards beneath him groaned. He froze outside Hannah's room. He had the urge to walk in and see what she was really like. Would her room be dark and sinister? Maybe even quiet and dull?

His curiosity got the better of him and he silently opened the white door. Dark shadows danced across the walls, the moon casting an eerie glow across the room. He crept in, his footstep muffled by a light blue carpet.

He turned on the light and stared in shock. Whoa. Her room was so…colorful. Not at all like the Hannah he knew. Her room was furnished well, almost better than his, which surprised him, considering her poor relationship with is uncle, the owner of the house. Against the far wall, pictures were tacked to a huge white board. A large window led to the veranda, the sliding doors covered by light blue lace curtains that touched the floor. Her canopy bed was pressed against the left wall, a bright, innocent white, with different colored pillows littering it. But the pictures drew him more than the smell of the room.

He walked over to the board, picking up a bear on her desk while he strode to it. All the pictures were of Hannah when she was back in California, where she had lived before her mother moved her to Jump City.

His heart skipped a beat as he pulled a picture off. It was Hannah, in the middle of a group of three girls. Hannah had looked so happy, so care free, so…innocent. Her bright white teeth clashed with her sun-kissed skin, and her eyes were glittering with laughter. Was this what the real Hannah was like?

He tucked the picture into his pajama pockets, and fingered the key around his neck. He was going to find out who exactly these _undercover_ agents were. And when he did, he planned on paying them a little visit. Ethan crept silently down the marble staircase and slid into his uncle's "office'.

He sat down at the large,straight backed leather chair and opened the drawer he knew help all the information he needed. He pulled out a thick file, plopping it down on the desk quietly. Grabbing his glasses case, he slid them on and started to read. Only Hannah knew about his reading glasses and only her. If anyone knew he needed glasses to read words close up, he would die of humiliation. The only reason Hannah knew was because she had caught him when he was reading a book in the built in library at the mansion. She had said nothing, just grabbed a novel and walked out.

Shaking his head, his pale eyes skimmed the words. Hours later, when the sun was just starting to rise, Ethan leaned back, astonished. The famous Teen Titans were the undercover agents? Suddenly, his handsome face broke out in a grin. He plan was going to work out perfectly. If they didn't allow him to help, the whole world would know where the titans were…but not that he would actually tell people about them. They were his only chance of getting Hannah back and he would not ruin the chance of them not finding her. But, hey, Ethan Matthew's always gets his way…and now was not the time to change that. Scribbling down the addresses, Ethan pushed the file back in its place and tucked the paper in his pajama bottoms. With a wide yawn, he slumped back to his room and crawled in bed. Later on, he would pay the titans a visit.

XxX

Raven stretched out in her bed, covering a yawn with her hand. She let it fall back limply, glancing at her clock. It was still early, only eight in the morning. She sighed and curled back under her silk covers, turning on her side to face the door.

"Hey, Rae." Her eyes flew open as Beast Boy laid a hand on her waist and leaned over her shoulder. Her heart pounded in her throat.

With his breath warm on her ear, he whispered, "I figure it's payback time." She decided that when she was able to breath normal she would kill him. But, breathing normal was without a doubt out of the picture considering he was _under the covers with her_, and his hand was actually resting on her skin.

"How the hell did you get in here?" She asked, inwardly cursing when her voice came out weak. He chuckled, pulling her back against his front. If he wasn't mistaken, her breathing was short. Did he actually have that kind of power over Raven? Nah. It was probably just his imagination.

"Let's just say I snuck under your door." He bet a hundred bucks that if he could see her face, she would be flustered with shock and anger.

"Get out of my bed. Beast Boy."

"Payback, remember? You woke me up, so now I wake you up."

"I'm up, now go." She tried to get up, but the move made his hand slide down to her hip. She froze, unsure what to do.

"Move," she bit out quietly, slowly, "your hand."

If anything, his grip tightened lightly. Quickly, he pulled her down on her back and pressed his mouth to hers.

Her eyes widened. What was with him kissing her all the time? It was the third time in two days! Before all this hand happened, he couldn't stand her and she couldn't stand him. What the hell was going on?

She had only kissed one guy in her life, but that was when she was thirteen and never knew the titans existed. But even that had only been a quick peck. Nothing like this! Hell, she didn't even know what to do! No one actually knew it, but Raven was just as physically innocent as Starfire. But that was were the innocence ended...

Beast Boy pulled back with a grin. "Now we're—oofh!" He grunted when her knee collided with his stomach. She pushed him off and practically jumped off the bed.

She glowered at him. "How dare you come in here and treat me like that!"

In pain, he closed on eye. "What do you mean?"

"You cannot just come in here, lay on my bed like you belong there, and…kiss me like that…" She blushed, running a hand through her unruly hair. It fell in knotted curls to the middle of her back.

"You can't say you didn't like it."

"How can I like it when…"

"You can't even stand me?" He offered, getting up while rubbing his abdomen.

"I wasn't going to say that," she said quietly, walking over to her bureau and grabbing a brush. She pulled it through her hair roughly.

"Umm-hmm. Don't worry, I don't know why I did it, either." Liar. He knew exactly why he did it. He snatched the brush from her and pushed her in the chair that rested in front of the huge dresser. He took a small portion of her hair and started to brush it to steady his shaking hands. He knew what he was doing, why he was suddenly acting different. It was because he was in love with her, had been since the day she hugged him after being betrayed by that no good, double-crossing dragon, Malchior. Though it hurt when he fought with her, he always managed to keep his cover. He never wanted Raven to know how he felt, for fear of her rejecting him. Even he knew that Raven was too good for him. She deserved someone who loved the same things she did. He would never be good enough for her. Hell, he couldn't even make her smile, much less make her love him. He would never try to win her heart…because he knew he would never get it. When she finally found that she could love, could be with other people without hurting them, she would want someone like Malchior had been. She would never want a screw up like him. Not even Terra had wanted him.

Raven watched him in the mirror, noticing the way his shoulder sagged and his head lowered. What was he thinking? Lately, she had noticed how depressed he had suddenly become. Though he acted himself in front the rest of the team, he was a totally different person around her. He was sometimes rude, obnoxious, and hurtful even. But she could tell by the way his eyes clouded that he didn't mean it. He was always quite after his verbal battle with her, and his shoulder would sag and his head would droop. Something was wrong with him and she would give anything to know what…

He gnawed on his bottom lip, tucking her brushed hair behind her ear. "I, uh, promise I won't do it again." He handed the brush back to her, handle first, stepping back when she took it.

"Guess I'll see you later." He shoved his hands into his jean pockets, slouching as he walked.

Debating whether she should call him back, Raven groaned and stood up gracefully, but quickly.

"What is wrong with you?" She asked, following him as he headed for the front door.

Without turning, he asked, "Whaddya mean?"

"Why do you keep…uh, kissing me like that?"

His large shoulder's lifted and fell in a bored shrug. "Dunno"

She glared. "Just answer me."

"What's the point of answering when you yourself don't know the answer?"

He opened the door and was surprised when it shut. Noticing it was engulfed in black, he opened it again, only to have it drag him with the door. Aggravated, he put one foot on the wall beside the door and the other on the other side. He yanked hard, managing to get it open but almost falling backward. He chuckled evilly and was about to walk out when it slammed again. He narrowly missed being squished by a door.

He growled and whirled on her, his eyes bright with anger. Before she had time to move, he grabbed her shoulder and pushed her against the wall.

Surprised at his anger and his speed, she prepared herself for a fight.

"Can I please go to my room?" He asked, aggravated.

"No, not until you tell me what's wrong with you."

He glared at her. "Nothing is wrong with me…right now…" He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, nothings wrong right now."

She rolled her eyes and tried to push him off without her powers. She sighed, knowing it was futile. So, she had no physical strength…damn, without her powers, she really was weak. But then again…she couldn't use her powers in public. This wouldn't count as public…

Before she could throw him back, he moved his hand and reached into his jean jacket for a stick of gum.

"Since when do you chew gum?" She asked, rolling her shoulder. The skin burned, for some reason.

He shrugged again, popping it in to his mouth. "Do I have to have a reason for everything?"

She pushed past him, heading for the kitchen to make her daily cup of tea. "Yes."

Finding the door clear, he opened it again. It slammed and he kicked the side of the wall and yelp in pain. With a waterfall of colorful oaths, he sat down on the couch, rubbing his poor, abused toe.

"I could have told you that would not have worked." He mumbled something incoherent, folding his arms over his chest while popping his gum.

Raven started to dig through a box of plate wear, searching for a cup and teakettle.

Beast Boy turned in his seat to see what all the commotion was about. But what he got was an eyeful of Raven's backside. His gave a long, low whistle and Raven jerked up, her face red, but her glare deadly.

He winked. "Nice view."

"Go to hell."

He chuckled, fishing out the white envelope he had shoved on his jean pocket. "By the way, I got your mail while I was getting mine. I didn't read it, so…here." He held it up waiting for Raven to grab it out of his hand. She snatched it up and leaned a hip against the back of the couch.

_Dru Moody and Logan Field are your undercover names. I don't want any complaints, first off, because I didn't come up with them, Ortega did, and second, both of you need to start acting like grown-ups. Your driver's licenses, school ID, and schedule are also in here. You start school Monday but you need to hit the streets today. Rays and Darcy will be there around one, so be prepared. They've got to deal with Red first. I'll be by later and give you your equipment. _

_Twain_

Raven scowled at the paper. Beast Boy grabbed it gently from her hand, drawing her attention to him. He read it quickly and started to dump the continents of the envelope onto the couch.

"Wonder how they got the pictures…maybe they took them from the security cameras and used those."

Raven studied him, her mind on to totally different subject. Why was he always here? Was he just bored? Lonely? Or was there something she didn't know?

"Beast Boy?"

"Logan, remember? We best get used to calling each other our undercover names. I'm just glad they didn't use my real name. I would have been in for some serious name calling."

"Whatever. _Logan_, why do you always come over here?"

His hand paused when he reached for his school ID, but he resumed his grab quickly. "Don't know. Bored, I guess."

"You could go anywhere else…so why here?"

Without looking at her, he mumbled, "Why do you care? Do you want me to leave, or something?"

She paused with a sigh. "No. I would just like to know why you are here everyday. If I'm to let you come here everyday, I should at least know the reason."

He shrugged, reading his driver's licenses. "Dunno. I just do. There's nothing to do at my place, so I figured if I was bored at your place, then maybe my place would have some sort of pull."

She raised an eyebrow. "You're lying."

"And how the hell do you know that? You don't know a thing about me, yet you know when I'm lying. Yeah, right. Sure. Whatever. If you don't believe me, then that's your business."

"Well, I don't believe you." She folded her arms over her chest.

"Good for you." She walked around the couch and sat down next to him, laying a slim hand on his. His hand froze as he studied her small hand on his large one. Her skin was smooth and warm against his.

"I want to know why you come over here."

He swallowed. "Is it that weird for a friend to come over here and see another friend?" He was still watching their hands with fascination. Damn, it wasn't like he hadn't held other girls' hand…but he didn't do it that often. He was usually busy doing something else(notthat, but talking, or kissing, or something like that)but when he did touch a girl's hand, it had just been…holding a hand. But it felt weird to have Raven touch him. The only time she had touch him was when she had hugged him and that had been it. But if she thought this would make him spill his secret, she was dumber than he thought.

"Beast Boy," she rolled her eyes when he opened his mouth to correct her, "Logan…usually, friends don't come into their friends room and kiss them like you did me."

"It was payback."

"You were the one who kissed me back in your room. I was already awake. And, you were the one to kiss me again. Where's the payback in that?"

He jerked his hand out from under hers, startling her, and he grabbed his things quickly. "Did you ever think that maybe I care—never mind."

He stormed to the door, Raven hot on his heels. Raven put herself between him and the door quickly. "What were you about to say?"

"None of your business."

"Yes, it is. If it involves me, it is my business."

He shoved his hand through his hair. "Maybe it's just that I care more about you than I should." He pushed past her, trying not to touch her more than he should. Raven pressed her back against the doorframe, shocked. She watched him open his door and slam it without even looking up at her or anything else.

Quietly shutting her door, Raven leaned against, sagging to the floor. What did he mean by he cares more than he should? Could it mean that he had feelings for her that surpassed friendship? Could Beast Boy…love her? She gave a quite, sad laugh. Yeah right. No one could love her and her empty emotions. She was nothing but a cold-hearted bitch that pushed everyone away. Someone like Beast Boy, fun and outgoing, would never want someone like her. She would just have to deal with being alone.

Surprised, Raven lifted her hand to her eyes to feel wetness. She was crying? But… why? Raven sniffed and cleared her throat, pushing herself up. When she was this down, she did what she did best. Cleaned. It was she and Star's get away.

Raven dug through box after box, searching for cleaning supplies. When all she could find was stacked on the counter, she quickly changed into an over-sized T-shirt, shorts and tennis shoes, pulling her hair in to a bun. When she caught her reflection in the mirror, she quickly lowered her gaze. Like there was anything that was attractive in her reflection.

She sniffed again and headed for the kitchen. She paused, tapping her foot. Maybe she should unpack everything first, then clean, and since it was still early, she could go out for something to eat later. Liking her plan, she hooked up her stereo system, letting the music of Evanescence fill her troubled head.

XxX

How stupid could one person get? Obviously, stupidity was Beast Boy's middle name. He slammed down a fist and regretted it instantly. He shook his pounding hand with a scowl. Why could he not be like Robin and look cool slamming a fist down?

He dragged himself into his kitchen to open the fridge. Empty. _Of course it's empty, stupid. Duh. _With a groan, he slammed the door. Maybe he could go back to Raven's to get some food or something. Maybe she already forgot what he so stupidly said. Probably not, but his stomach was growling. He groaned, walking to his door. It had been three hours since he said that he cared more than he should. Maybe she wasn't even paying attention. He drug his feet to her door, his lips forming a small pout.

Beast Boy knocked, raising an eyebrow when she didn't answer. He quietly turned the doorknob and peaked inside. Whoa. The aroma of a candle greeted him, along with a completely furnished apartment. Her radio still blared softly in the corner.

"Rae?" He called out, pushing open the door wider and walking in. "Raven, you in here?"

No answer. He shut the door behind him and shrugged. "Guess she already went out to get something." He sighed, deciding he better leave before she came home. He was headed for the door when he glanced over at the couch. Spotting something, he strode over to it quietly.

Raven was curled up on the couch, sound asleep. _Awh, how sweet,_ was the first thing that entered his mind. She looked so innocent asleep, so normal. He smiled. _She'd probably be more comfortable in her own bed. _He gathered her sleeping form in his arms, her head resting against his shoulder. Now, all he had to do was find out which one was her room.

Biting his lip, he leaned down and tried to open the first doorknob. It was obviously a computer room. Or at least that was what Raven had made it. He let out a huff of breath, glad that Raven didn't weigh more than a hundred and twenty. He tried the next room and ended up staring at a hot water heater. He glared and turned to the next one. Aha. Found it.

Softly, his shoes muffled by the white carpet, he managed to pull down the covers. Raven moaned softly and he froze. If she found him in her apartment, more so, her room, he'd be one dead man. Even more carefully than before, he laid her down gently, adjusting her to what he thought would be a comfortable position.

He blinked when her shirt raised a tiny fraction, but not enough to show any skin. Disappointed, he removed her shoes slowly, dropping the down by her bed. He grinned at his handiwork, moving back to Raven. As he was pulling the covers over her, she grabbed a fist full of his jacket and yanked him down, turning on her side. His stomach hit her hip, but he was too scared to even breath. His eyes were wide, staring at nothing in particular. She sighed softly, tugging on his shirt more. He had to out his hands down in front of her flat stomach to keep from squishing her.

Now, all he had to figure out was how to get out of here with out, one, being caught, and two, doing something he would really regret later. Plans of escape flooded his brain, but nothing would actually stick. His mind was on other things.

She gave a really hard tug, sending him sprawling across her. His body stiffened, knowing he would look into the furious eyes of Raven, so when he turned to see her, he was ready for a physical blow to the head.

But she was still sleeping soundly. He watched her, this time not in fright. Maybe…maybe it wouldn't be so bad if she woke up to find him here…

Disgusted, he shook his head. Of course she would. She couldn't stand him when she was awake and if she woke up to him, well, he would probably be banned from here forever. She would never talk to him, look at him, except maybe in glares, but if he couldn't talk to her…well, he'd be allalone.

He glanced down to see that her long, slim fingers still clutched his shirt tightly almost like she was holding onto him for comfort. His eyes snapped to her face when she whimpered, like in fear or pain, maybe both.

Worried, he crawled over her, almost identical to a monkey or ape,to sit down to face her. Shocked beyond words, he watched tears leak from her close eyes. She shivered sweat suddenly beading her forehead. He wiped the tears from her cheek, surprised at how cold her skin was, though she was sweating. Suddenly, she cried out, making him jump. Quickly, he shook her shoulder, calling out her name. "Raven! Wake up!"

She sat up quickly, her breath coming out in pain gasps. She blinked, as if she didn't know where she was, and finally saw him.

He raised his hand, pushing away swat-soaked hair and laid his hand on the side of her neck. "What happened, Rae?"

Before she could object, he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. Her body trembled, and, though it was not like her at all, she clung to him like it was the end of the world. It wasn't long after that when she started to sob, her tears drenching his T-shirt.

Bewildered, her stroked her hair, kissing her forehead. His mind screamed to ask her what he left her so shaken, but his heart just wanted to comfort her. In the end, his heart won.

"Oh, God, Beast Boy," she mumbled against his shirt, the last of her tears falling. "It was horrible."

He pulled her into his lap, sitting her sideways, and rocking her slightly. "What was?"

She buried her head in his shoulder, loving the way he smelled. The mixture of soap and his unique sent was enough to calm her frazzled nerves. She would never forget what she had seen in her dream; never forget the pain and desperation, the dread of knowing what was to come.

"Beast Boy…"

He moved her hair and kissed her shoulder. "What did you see, Rae?" She shivered when he ran his hand along her spine.

She took a deep breath and lifted her eyes to his. "I think he killed again."

His eyebrows drew together. "What makes you think that?"

Her breath became shallow, her skin paler than usual. "I saw it, Beast Boy. I saw him rape and kill her…and I know where the body is."

Beast Boy could only stare.

XxX

New twist. Hope you enjoyed it. Yeah, so, it's short, but…oh well! Until next time!

Jessemudflap


	8. Chapter Seven: January 8th

"Well, I'll be damned," Lex muttered under his breath, rubbing the back of his hand across his mouth. Though he had spent years on the police force, it still churned his stomach to see a dead body. And now, kneeling beside the poor girl, he found his lunch rising up again. That hamburger he had was not planning on staying in his stomach much longer.

The coroner shook her head, pushing up thick, wire-rimmed glasses while shifting from one foot to the other. "I'd say she's been dead only a couple of hours. She's still warm and her body's barley stiff." The woman, Patty Holmes, shook her bright white head again. "Poor thing."

Lex muttered something incoherent, picking up the white rose with his gloved hand. "Yo, Ortega," he called out when the coroner left, his eyes narrowed as he studied the rose.

Ortega nodded to a young police officer and made his way to Twain. "Yeah?"

"Is this the mayor's kid?" He glanced down at the girl, her nude body covered by a white sheet that was pulled up to her chin, covering the bruise around her neck.

Ortega shrugged, folding his arms over his powerfully built chest. "We don't know, but I'm pretty sure it is, especially with the long blonde hair. We're going to call the Mathews boy to identify the body. I know it's wrong to do that to a kid, but the mayor already said that he and his wife couldn't. Seems his wife had a panic attack and he's trying to calm her down. He's sending Mathews over to the morgue later. Some family member, huh?" Ortega glanced down. "God, she looks so young."

"I know. She can't be more than sixteen." Twain shook his head in sorrow.

"Didn't the green boy call and tell where the body was?" Ortega crouched down next to Lex.

"Yeah. It was weird. He called and said that the Goth had had a nightmare and that she thought that there was another body. I didn't believe at first, so, since I was off from my lunch break, I decided to check it out and humor them. And, damn if there wasn't a body. There were no eyewitness around that could have said anything to that goth kid. If I didn't know better, I'd say that she actually saw the murder while sleeping. I'll head over there and question them after I show the Matthews kid the body."

Ortega nodded. "I thought this man only killed three weeks after one went missing."

Lex squinted against the sun, standing up and heading to his car. "Yeah, so did I. Either this is a copycat killer, or our man is breaking his flow. We'll have to test the girl for any signs of…anything."

"Was she raped?" Ortega asked, catching sight of the press heading their way and scowled. Normally, he was a nice, calm man, but the press really pushed his buttons. All they cared about were their stories' and they didn't care if they hurt anyone in the process of getting it.

"I'm pretty sure. There was blood on her thighs, which is usually a sure sign. There are no scratches or anything, but I could see faint bruises on her hips, breasts, and knees in the shape of fingers. But, at least she wasn't strewn all over the place like the last one. This time, all he did was strangle her. We haven't found the murder weapon yet, either." Twain ducked under the yellow police tape, pushing a microphone out of his way when a reporter shoved it in his face.

"Detective Twain, has The White Rose Killer struck again? Do you know that girl? Was it the mayor's stepdaughter? How was she murdered? Was there a white rose by her body? Do you have any—"

Twain turned to the cameras, his face serene but his fury torrid. "Look, we just found another dead girl's body. I do not want to answer these questions until I have some answers myself. So, I recommend that, if you have a heart, leave here."

The woman reporter's eyes narrowed. "That was a little callous, detective."

"You haven't seen harsh yet." He walked away, growling when a stream of questions still issued form the reports. He knew it was their job, but don't they get it that these kind of cases hit home with the police force? Most of the men and women he worked with had daughters around the ages of the girls they were finding.

He sat down in his car, pushing down the image of that poor girl. The paramedics were already zipping the young woman up, ready to take her to the morgue, where he would face the Matthews boy.

But what still threw him off was that Raven kid. How the hell did she know exactly where the girl was? He never knew that, with her powers, she could…see the future? No, that wasn't right. See through victims' eyes? None of the research he had done said anything about her having that sort of power. Did she even know she did or was it a mere fluke?

He groaned, rubbing his pounding head. What he wouldn't give to just go home and hold his wife in his arms, lay a hand on her stomach and fell his baby kick.

He turned on the radio, not even hearing the music, and stopped at a red light. This was the worse part of his job. Confronting the parents of the deceased, or having the loved ones identify the body. They always screamed or sobbed or fainted. Hell, some had even attacked him in their anguish, but it never hurt…at least not physically. Pain always clouded their strength and all he ever suffered was a few scratches, especially from the women. He actually had a faint scar across his cheek where the mother of the last victim had scratched him with her ring.

Though he hid it, their pain tore at his heartstrings. He had cried in his sleep on more than one occasion, especially after a hard case, but his wife was always there to comfort him.

Pulling into the hospital, he turned off the ignition, spotting the Matthew's boy immediately.

He watched him from a distance, already noticing the kids red nose. And it wasn't from the cold. He climbed out of his SUV, tucking his hands in his pockets.

"Are you Ethan Mathews?"

Theboy nodded, sniffing but trying to keep composed.

Lex cocked his head to the side. "Look kid, I know this'll be hard for you, so just bear with me. When we go in there, try not to break down before I show you her. And second, I know you've probably never seen a dead body before, so, if you need to hurl, there'll be a trashcan right near you. And try not to attack any hospital personnel."

Ethan nodded, clenching his jaw. He followed the detective into the hospital, his vision blurring. He couldn't help her…he couldn't save her…he'd never be able to see her smile for him, only him, to hear her deep voice filled with amusement and not resentment.

Hannah was gone and there was nothing he could do about it. His heart broke even more as a sob choked him.

Detective Twain held the elevator door open for the kid, waiting patiently. Pressing a button, Twain chewed on the inside of his lip. He should try and reassure the teen, right?

"…You know…it might not be her." Damn, he was letting hope bloom inside the kid, and personally, he knew that it was probably the mayor's stepdaughter.

Matthews said nothing, just stared at the wall with his jaw clenched painfully. Lex sighed, dreading what was to come when the elevator doors slid open. His shoes clicked against the tiled floor as he made his way to the morgue. This Ethan kid was handling this pretty well, for a seventeen year old.

A plump, balding doctor nodded his head in greeting when Twain walked in. The obese doctor clutched a metal folder to his large chest. "I did check a few things when the body arrived, but it's stuff you can already gather. She was raped, brutally, from the looks of it, and then strangled afterwards. Her wrists were shackled together by a thick rope that cut into the skin, so there was no way she could have scratched her murderer. The sides of her mouth were cut, so I figure he used a cloth to keep her quite. But, I can tell that she fought him." Ethan flinched at the thought. It sickened him to even picture what Hannah must have gone through. The man sighed and walked to the metal body cabinets. He pulled one out and Ethan almost gagged. He had yet to see her, but knowing what he was going to…

Bracing himself, unable to stop the tears that flowed, he watched as the doctor drew back to covers.

"Oh, God," Ethan sobbed, covering his mouth with trembling hands.

"Is it her?" Twain asked quietly, laying a hesitant hand on the boy's shoulder.

Ethan's wide, tears-filled eyes were his answer. "Okay. Doctor Whiles, this is—"

"It's not her."

Twain turned to the kid, taken aback. "Excuse me?"

Ethan shook his head. "It's not Hannah…but I do know who she is."

"Who?" Twain glanced at the gray, lifeless girl, then back to Matthews.

Ethan swiped at his tears, almost sagging to the floor with relief and horror. "She's in—was, I mean, in tenth grade. Her names Bethany Brundly. She dated an enemy of mine for a while." He rubbed his eyes, his heart still pounding. It wasn't Hannah, it wasn't Hannah. It was all he could think. Thank God, Hannah was still out there somewhere. He still had a chance to help her.

The large hand on his shoulder lifted in a quick pat. "Thanks, kid. Sorry to have brought you in here. Is still can't believe it's not her."

"Hannah doesn't give up that easily." Ethan snapped, his body shaking form shock, relief, and the thought that Hannah was still out there, hopefully alive.

"Okay." Twain ignored the look Ethan threw him. This was totally weird. Their killer was changing his ways on them. Maybe he was trying to throw them off, or maybe he was pissed, or, like he said before, maybe it was a copycat killer. His head pounded painfully. Damnit, this was just getting more out of hand then he liked to admit.

XxX

"Maybe I was just dreaming and it was…just a nightmare." Raven watched Beast Boy fix her herbal tea and cuddled under the covers. She pushed down the image of that poor girl, though she had no idea if she even existed.

"Rae, with your powers, I think it's possible." He muffled a curse when he couldn't find the tea packets. "Jeez, everything's so freaking…neat and in order."

"It is in the cabinet above you," she offered.

"Hmm. How can you stand this stuff?" He held the top of the packet and shook it.

"How can you stand tofu?"

"'Cause I've been most of the animal you eat." He filled the teakettle with water and shoved it on the stove. He sighed, making his way over to her. He jumped over the couch and landed with a plop next to her, making her bounce.

Tapping his index finger on his thigh, Beast Boy chewed on the inside of his cheek. What was he supposed to do? Maybe say something that would be of comfort to her?

"Rae, what exactly did you see?" He turned to her, sitting sideways on the couch. Okay, so that was a start.

She cleared her throat, staring at a spot on the wall. "I didn't see it."

"What?" Confused, his eyebrows drawn together, he stared at her. "What—"

"I said it didn't see it…" She turned to him, her eyes burdened with the memory of what that girl went through, what _Raven_ went through. "I _felt _it. It was as if…I was her, Beast Boy. I didn't see, I felt. I _was_ her. I saw through her eyes, felt like I was in her skin, I could feel her pain, her anguish, what was floating through her head when he raped her. God, it like I can still feel his hands in me—I mean her. And the pain," her shoulders shook that the memory, "the pain was unbearable. But, I never saw who the man was and I woke up just as he strangled her with a yellow scarf."

She jumped when Beast Boy laid a hand on her shoulder. Her startled gaze collided with his and held.

He had planned on saying something intelligent, really, he did, but all rational thoughts fled. He had never really noticed before, but her lips were full…and completely alluring.

No! Bad, bad, horny Beast Boy! He couldn't kiss her! Especially not at a time like this, when she had felt what that girl had been through, felt that bastard hands on her. Oh, how his mother would smite him down if she knew what he was thinking!

Raven watched his gaze lower to her mouth and she knew her face heated with a blush. But what threw her off the most was the fact that she wanted him to kiss her…was that even sane? This was Beast Boy she was thinking about.

Anyways, Raven never thought about kissing men …never…save when she was dreaming, but now she was wide awake! This was totally scandalous.

She sighed and moved quickly, innocently kissing his shocked mouth. She didn't pull away, not immediately, but gloated over the fact that she had done something completely unlike her. As she was about to pull back and throw a sarcastic remark at him, he lifted his hand to her cheek and pulled her back to his mouth.

_Well, I guess he can take over from here…_ Just as the kiss was starting to get really interesting, the kettle hissed loudly, making them both jump apart. With heavy breathing, Beast Boy jumped up to get the water.

As he poured the steaming liquid into the cup, he licked his lips. Raven just kissed him and he did nothing to provoke her. Maybe it was his masculine charms…

He grinned, dunking the tea packet in the water. Yeah, it was defiantly his manly charms. No woman can resist Garfield Logan.

He brought the tea to her, and plopped down again. Raven watched him with one raised brow, calmly lifting the cup to her lips. "You sure look overly happy."

He just grinned. Then, with the arrogance of a jock, he leaned back all unruffled and slick, resting his arm just behind her head. She gave him a dull look, setting the cup on the coffee table. Standing up, she went to the bookshelf.

He hopped up and followed her, grabbing her waist and pulling her against him.

"You know you can't resist me." He said against her ear, his voice deep with amusement. "Nobody can resist the manly charms of Garfield Logan."

She rolled her eyes but made no move to walk out of his embrace. "Yeah, keep thinking that and maybe someday someone will agree with you."

"Ah, you hide your attraction very well, Raven. But not good enough, for I can see straight through you." He gave an evil chuckle, nibbling on her ear.

She shuddered, heat pooling in her stomach. "You wish."

He chuckled. "Yes…but in my dreams…no, you will never know." He traced the side of her jaw with his lips. "My dreams are for me only."

She tilted her head to give him more room. She told herself that it was just more comfortable leaning her head to the side. She wasn't doing it for Beast Boy…

"You know Rae…you taste really good." He smiled against the crook of her neck when he felt the heat of her blush.

"I…uh…" _Don't say anything stupid, don't say anything stupid…_ "Thank you?" She almost groaned in mortification when he laughed, his breath hot on her throat. "No problem." He lightly bit her skin, then soothed the minuscule pain with his tongue. "But one of these days, I plan on tasting more of you than just your mouth." He spun her around and kissed her stunned lips.

XxX

Robin stood back, tilting his head to the side to study the artwork on the dark redwall.

"It's a tad bit crooked, Star." She nodded, her head tilted the same as his. He glanced over at her to see…nothing… He looked up to see her floating in the air, her legs crossed Indian style.

"Shall I fix it?"

He nodded. "Yeah, considering it's seven feet above ground and I'd look really weird jumping up and down to try and fix it." She blinked, then giggled quietly, flying casually to fix the painting. She paused, examining it after it was straight. "I never knew you take pleasure in the fine arts."

He shrugged while his eyes roamed over every part of her. "Me either. It was just here when I moved in and I decided that it should have some place to stay."

She nodded, not even noticing the way he looked at her. "Oh."

"You know Star, you're not supposed to—"

"Fly? Yes, I know. It will be a hard habit to break." She dropped back down, from seven feet in the air, to land gracefully on her tennis shoes. "I must get use to walking on foot and never using star-bolts."

"Hmm…are you hungry?" He asked, pushing boxes out of his way to reach the refrigerator.

"A tad, yes." She jumped on the counter when she reached it, tucking one leg under her while watching him. "How do you suppose Raven and Beast Boy are faring?"

"They're probably tearing each other to shreds." He grabbed things to make a quick sandwich, shutting the metal door with his foot. He dumped the things on the counter next to her and she picked up the things that tipped over.

"Where did Cyborg say he was going again?" She asked, unscrewing the lid on the mayo jar.

"I think he said that he was staying with one of the officers." Starfire nodded, watching the way Robin pilled meat on bread.

"Is he still besotted with Bumblebee?" Starfire took a slice of tomato from the pile Robin had cut up and gently bit into it.

"Yep, though he won't admit it. Every morning he sneaks off to call her. I even caught him once. I've never seen Cyborg blush so much."

She smiled, sucking the juice from her fingers. He watched her, completely transfixed. "He should not hide it, especially from her. But, then again, I have noticed that Earth men are more resistant to feelings than on my planet. Tameranian men are the first to admit how they feel. It is usually the women who are resistant. I think it is because women are more emotional to rejection than men. Once rejected, it is hard for us to move past the hurt." She shrugged one slim shoulder. "But, that is on Tameran."

He blinked, returning to his job at cutting the tomatoes. "Hmm. Well, he needs to ask her out and get it over with."

"I agree." Laying down the knife, he reached for a jar. He wrestled with the pickle jar, trying to pry the lid open. "Damn lid," he muttered, hitting the top against the counter in hopes to loosen it. Starfire took it gently from him before he shattered it and easily pried the lid open with a deft flick of her wrists. He gave her a humorous look and muttered, "I loosened it." She chuckled and screwed the lid back on. She handed it to him. "Would you like to have another try?"

He sneered. "I'm not weak."

Her lips twitched. "I never said you were."

"Give me that." He snatched it from her and twisted the cap. It popped off easily. He grunted, setting it back down. She scooted to the edge and swung her legs back and forth. She crossed them at the ankles.

"Am I still to come over here to dinner?"

He glanced up briefly, spreading mayo on the bread and licking the remains from his fingers. "Yep. There is no way you can get out of it, either. If I have to, I'll come to your apartment. Believe me, I'll tell you when you don't have to come, which…will be a while."

She braced her hands near her hips and leaned back. "I was merely asking."

She grinned as he grabbed plates from one of the boxes. He glared at her. "What's so funny?"

"You."

He glared at her from the corner of his eye. "And how am I funny?"

"You just are, especially when you're angry."

"I am not mad. I have no reason to be mad."

"I have bruised your ego." The death glare he gave her made her throw back her head and laugh. "My ego is far from bruised," he muttered, biting back the urge to press his mouth to the base of her throat.

"Umm-hmm."

"Why would my ego be bruised?" He put his hands on his hips.

"You were unable to open—"

"So? I can't do a lot of things you can, like lift two tons without flinching. You'd probably beat Wonder Woman."

"Who is…Wonder Woman?" She asked innocently.

"She's in the Justice League with my mentor. But I don't want to get into that right now."

He cleared the counter and sat the sandwiches down on the table. She turned her head to watch him. She swung her legs up and scooted to the edge, about to jump down, when Robin stood in front of her. She glanced up at him, surprised when he stepped between her legs and pulled her against him. She was still sitting, and with him standing, she was pressed intimately against him. Her cheeks flushed. She had never, ever, been this close to Robin or any other man. When Robin had kissed her before, he hadn't gotten this close to her.

He leaned in to kiss her softly, just a whisper of a kiss, before sliding his tongue into her mouth. Confidently, he slid his hands under her shirt to rest them on her slim hips. Her skin was warm and soft and he slowly rubbed his thumb across her ribcage. He pulled her flush against him, his groin pressed against hers. She whimpered lightly.

Truth was, he had never had sex with a woman. He had dated of course and things had gotten far before, but he had never _really_ had sex. It wasn't that women weren't attracted to him like that, but every time he had gotten close, the thought of maybe hurting Star made him stop. He knew that she felt more than just friendship for him, and though he knew he couldn't be with her, he couldn't risk hurting her in anyway. He knew he did, just by dating other women, and it killed him. He shouldn't be guilty, trying to have a personal life, but then he put himself in her position. What if it was Starfire dating and sleeping around with different men? His gut clenched at the thought of someone else touching her. But he couldn't be with her, ever. He was forbidden to be with her. She was his teammate, friend, but never his lover. He could make out with her all he wanted, but it could never go beyond that, no matter how his body ached for her. He could only really have her in his dreams and only there.

Regrettably, he would never do anything other to her than kiss her. Maybe, later on, he'd let his hands wonder, sometimes even his mouth, but nothing else. One of these days, he'd have to grow up and leave her to be with other women. And he dreaded that day with a fierce passion.

With skilled ease, he pressed her back so she laid all the down against the counter and he followed, his hands braced beside her head and his lower body between her legs. She lightly scraped her nails against his back when he moved to her neck to lightly suck on the skin.

Starfire tilted her head, her heart pounding in her throat. Hesitantly, she raised her knees and rested them against the side of his waist. He groaned softly when the move pressed him against her even more and moved back to her mouth. Balancing on one hand, he slid the other one under her shirt, his touch becoming bolder and resting just below her breast. He never moved it again, though.

She should really stop him. But she couldn't, even though she knew that this would just end in heartbreak. Robin didn't want to be with her. He probably just wanted "someone to warm his bed" as Raven often said when Beast Boy would bring home another date. She didn't know the meaning of that, and Raven had just blushed when Star would ask. But Star got the gist of it. He only wanted her physically, not emotionally. And, here, she wanted him emotionally, not just physically. But, beggars cannot be choosers. If this was as far as Robin would ever move with her, she would be happy.

He moved his hips against hers and they both gasped as foreign pleasure shot through them, igniting feelings that never knew they possessed. She wrapped her legs around his waist, slightly arching her back. If possible, Robin's kiss became more ardent, demanding even.

He really needed to slow down before not even he could stop himself from doing something he would really regret in the long run. But…he just couldn't stop. He had never felt like this before, not even when he got past second base with his first girlfriend.

With his mind clouded with roaring passion, the knock on the door had the effect of a gunshot. Starfire yelped and he tumbled off the counter and landed hard on his back with a colorful array of oaths that had Starfire cringing. She leaned over the counter, her hair in disarray around her flushed face, her lips swollen from his kiss.

"Robin, are you injured?" With a groan, he shook his head, jumping up to answer the door. Part of him thanked the person behind the door and the other wanted nothing more than to wring their neck.

He jerked open the door with a scowl. But not even Robin was prepared for the shove the person behind the door gave him. His already sore backside hit the wall, the persons grip bruising his muscled shoulder. Behind the blonde man with pale eyes, Robin was aware of how Starfire was ready to fight. She was already heading for them, her eyes aglow, but Robin shook his head. She froze, her eyebrows drawn together in confusion. She made no move, but watched Robin and his attacker like a hunter watches his prey.

Before he could utter a word, the man, no more than twenty, grinned. The grin was far from menacing and Robin was thrown off. "You have to help me."

Robin snorted. "Tell me one reason why I should help you."

The blonde man grinned. "Because, _Robin_, I know exactly who you are."

Robin gawked. "Wha—what?"

"I know that you are the leader of the titans, and your undercover to find the White Rose Killer."

"But…"

"Please, just listen to me." The grip on Robin's shoulder lessened and the Boy Wonder almost slid to his knees in surprise. Hell, he would have if Star had not bolted over to grab him around the waist. He glanced at her briefly, then did a double take when he spotted his mark on her neck. He grinned, knowing that that was _his_ hickey on her.

"Robin, are you well?" His eye snapped up to Star's and he blushed. "No, not really. Our cover is just blown. Now, we'll never get the—"

"Wait, please." The kid held up a hand. "Look, I'm Ethan. Ethan Matthews."

"Oh." Robin managed to stand on his own two feet, but Star still kept her hand in his waist.

"I want to help you anyway I can. I…I want to find Hannah."

"Is Hannah not the one who was reported missing?" Starfire asked, moving Robin over to his couch and sitting down with him. Ethan stood, rather shyly, beside them until Star told him he was free to sit. He grabbed the chair that faced them and pulled it closer.

"Yes, she is. And…they found another body this morning." He held up a large, tan hand with extremely long fingers when Robin opened his mouth. "Hold on, and I'll tell you. My uncle received a call this morning from Detective Twain saying that they thought that they found Hannah. You see, I had already known who you were and planned on paying you a minor visit. But, when I got the news from my uncle, I thought I'd die. I guess I really never knew what it would feel like to lose Hannah. I mean, I was never close to her. If anything, I was cruel and callous to her. My uncle hates her, so when he told me that they had found Hannah's body, the bastard was practically grinning.

"He sent me to identify the body when my step-aunt broke down. When I got there, they had pulled the body out. I couldn't believe what I saw though. It wasn't Hannah, but another girl. And my hopes soared. Either Hannah is still out there, or that pedophile does have her. We only have less than three weeks if he really does have her. And, please, before you say anything, I just want you to know that…well, this might seem cruel, but if you do not allow me to help, I'll tell the press who you really are." He gave a shy smile that made his words seems casual.

Robin and Star exchange looks of bewilderment. "Give us one minute, please, while we discuss this matter." Starfire jerked Robin up and dragged him to the kitchen. They could not be heard from there, but she could keep an eye on the boy in Robin's living room.

"What are we to do, Robin?"

He shrugged, propping a hip against the counter. "I don't know. He could ruin everything. If he tells…" Robin sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. Starfire leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I think we should allow him to help."

He was shocked, not by her words but by her actions, before he relaxed and lightly circled his arms around her slim waist. "You feel sorry for him," he mumbled against her hair, his voice mild, yet amused.

She chuckled, inhaling his scent. "He seems guilty. I think he is truly serious and would not ruin the only hope he has to rescue Hannah. He is just desperate and wants her back. But I don't know he can help."

"Me either. But…" he stroked her back from the nape to the curve, just above her butt. "I guess we can allow him, since, well, he just seems… hopeless." She lifted her head to give him a glare and his kissed her quickly, but with enough passion to leave her head spinning. He moved to the living room to have a quick chat with Ethan while Starfire tried to calm her pounding heart.

XxX

_The man slammed down a fist, bellowing curses. They had made him do it! It was all their fault that he had taken another victim. They had soiled his plans. They were the reason he had taken his anger out on that blonde girl! It should have never happened! Now, it would seem like he was losing his touch. _

_He took deep breaths, glancing over at the girl who he now held. She caught his look and glared, though he knew she was scared. He grinned and walked over to her, gloating over the fact that her chest rose with shallow breaths when he got closer to her. He lightly touched her silken cheek, tracing the shallow cut he had given her in his anger. She flinched. _

_The man smiled, his voice almost like a coo. "You don't have to fear me."_

"_Go to hell you—" He slapped her hard enough to split her lip. He grabbed a fist full of blonde curls and yanked her face close to his. "Listen here, bitch. You're lucky I haven't raped you yet. Push me any farther, and I swear I'll take you so hard that I'll tear you apart."_

_He stepped back, letting his hands roam over her. She flinched again, closing her eyes as his foul hands touched her skin. The white dress he had made her wear was thin, the silk wet with sweat, tears, and water. Some parts were already specked with blood. _

_She held back a sob when he pushed her skirt up with his hands. He grinned, watching her face. Her fist tightened above her, where metal shackles held her wrist above her head. Her short nail dug into her skin. He fingered the band of her underwear and just as he was about to rip them off, his cell phone rang. He jumped back, searching for the duck tape he kept close by. He quickly tore off a long piece and slapped it over her mouth. As he reached for his phone, he bit out, "One sound and I swear I'll kill you."_

_Hannah watched as the man talked on his phone, her breath too shallow to get enough air to her lungs. It wouldn't be long before he raped and murdered her. It wasn't enough time to come up with a plan. She closed her eyes tightly, tears trailing down her cheeks. No one even knew he had her. Did anyone even care? Was this how she was really going to die?_

_She tried to calm herself down, wishing that she had truly killed herself when she had the chance. _

_XxX_

Okay, so the scene between Star and Robin got a little…heated. But, until I feel comfortable about writing lemons, the scenes between characters will never exceed PG-13, though it might come close. This goes for all my stories, not just this one. One of these days, yes, I will end up writing a sex scene between characters, but…not now. I'd probably suck at it anyways So, I just wanted you all to know that. Well, until next time! Oh, by the way, I'm working on the next chapter for _The Beast Within_.


	9. Chapter Eight: January 8th

I am not too happy with Saturday's episode…too much Raven and Robin crap…I swear, if there is going to be a little Robin/Raven, I will be so pissed! It is supposed to be Starfire and Robin and Beast Boy and Raven. They might be complete opposites, like night and day, but they just fit together…anyways, enough of my rambling, Here's the next chapter. Also, I did check this over, but if there are any mistakes, I'm really sorry. But no one's perfect.

* * *

"Damn it's cold," Raven muttered, snuggling closer into her warm jacket. Her fingers and ears were already numb and her nose was freezing. She bet she made on hell of a picture. "Come on, Rae. Only about two more hours to go." Beast Boy's voice drifted to her through the microphone. The receiving end was shoved in her ear, unnoticed by the human eyes. 

She had been outside in the freezing cold since the sun set. That was three hours ago. Her legs cramped painfully, but every time she would sit down, Twain's roaring voice would tell her to get up and keep walking. There was no time for lazy agents. She was really starting to hate that man.

A truck drove by and she prayed that it would stop and be the pedophile so she could kick his ass and go home. She would give anything to soak in a hot tub to sooth her aching muscles.

"No one will get me, you know," she mumbled into the microphone strapped to her sweater, watching the red truck drive away. She thought for a moment that it slowed down a bit, but it was probably just her imagination.

"You're probably right but we can't take any chances." Twain said. Raven gritted her teeth. She wished she could just strangle that man, watch him die slowly. Painfully.

"Come on, Rae. You're being a butt about all this."

She lowered her head against the biting wind and sniffed. God, she couldn't breathe. "Alright then, Beast Boy. Why don't you take my place and walk around for three hours in twelve degree weather."

Someone cleared their throat. "Actually, it's about six degrees. You sound a bit sick."

Raven shivered and answered with a grunt. "How's Starfire doing?"

"No better than you, but she hasn't been complaining. Her and the Robin kid are having a heated discussion so we aren't bothering them." Twain sighed, probably all warm and comfy in the van they were parked in . "But at least she doesn't complain."

Raven bit back a growl. "Who's all there in the van with you?"

"You know you look like an idiot talking to yourself, right?" Beast Boy said with a laugh.

Raven didn't say anything else as she walked down the deserted sidewalk. Every body else was inside their warm rooms, sitting in front of a fire with their lover or family curled beside them. Something Raven would never have. She shook her head at her self-pity. If she was to keep walking around like this, the least she could do is think of something productive.

It was only two days before they were meant to go to school, and Raven was not looking forward to it. She was defiantly not a people person and would end up looking like a reject, sitting at a table at lunch all by herself. No one would talk to her, just gossip about her behind her back. But, until the White Rose Killer was behind bars, she would just have to deal with it.

Raven shoved her hands into the front pockets of her black pullover, linking her fingers together. She turned a corner and slammed into someone, barely keeping her balance. It wasn't easy, considering she couldn't manage to get her hands out of her pockets to steady herself. She probably looked like a drunk idiot, stumbling around like she was. Finally, she righted herself.

"Sorry," she mumbled, scowling when the person just walked away. "Fine, then," she muttered, mumbling a profane name under her breath that had the people in the van chuckling. But she watched the figure saunter away. It was defiantly a man, especially with the arrogant way he walked like he was God's gift to women. The shoulders were broad and the waist narrow, but that was all she could gather. His was cloaked in nothing but black, from the shoes to his baseball cap that was pulled down to conceal his face. Suddenly, he turned. "Sorry about that. Should have watched where I was going."

Raven merely stared. His voice was so deep, so…charming. She could still not see his face, though, and that bugged her to no extent. But when he walked closer to her, she had the insane urge to run. "Raven? Raven, who is that? Raven!" Beast Boy hissed, but all went ignored by Raven. She craned her neck back when the man finally approached her.

"I'm…Patrick. And you?" He held out his hand and Raven was a tad bit hesitant.

"Uh…"

"Uh?" She caught a flash of white teeth when he grinned. "Nice name."

"Uh, it's…"

"Devin." Beast Boy mumbled, very unhappy with the activities that were taking place.

"I'm Devin. Devin Moody" Raven took his hand slowly and he chuckled. "There's no need to be afraid of me, you know."

"Hell, why would I be afraid of you?" She could think of a lot of reasons. Who was she to know if he was the pedophile or not?

Raven took her hand back and dropped it at her side. "Well, excuse me, Patrick…Patrick, for bumping in to you." Not long after she had walked off, Patrick started to follow. "What's a beautiful girl like you doing out so late at night all alone, 'specially with a rapist out on the loose?"

Raven blushed at the compliment, for she was so unused to getting them, and tucked her hands into her pockets. "I just needed some fresh air. Anyways, I can take care of myself."

Silence settled over them and Raven suddenly felt uncomfortable. Who was this man and why was he following her as if they were buddies or a couple? Raven shuddered at the thought.

"Got a boyfriend?"

Raven almost froze in shock. "What?"

He grinned. "Juts trying to make conversation. So, you got one?"

Raven blushed, knowing full and well that Beast Boy and the others were waiting for a reply. "Say yes," Beast Boy hissed in her ear.

"Why?"

"What?" Patrick asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Say you do." Beast Boy whined.

"No." Raven hissed, blushing when Patrick looked at her funny.

"Excuse me?" Patrick was getting confused and Raven was starting to look like a complete idiot. She was not giving a good first impression.

"Fine. Yes. Actually, I do have one, though he's a complete and arrogant jerk. I think I'm going to end it pretty soon, though he is abusive." Laughter rang in her ear as Twain and his partners chuckled, but the low, warning growl belonged to Beast Boy.

"Really?" Patrick asked, his blue eyes narrowing.

"Uh…" Raven didn't like the look that fired in his eyes, so she took a step back. "No, not really. I was just kidding about him being abusive. He's too shrimpy to actually do any damage, not that he _does_ try to hit me. He's only about an inch wide with no muscles so even the smallest wind takes him airborne." Amongst the laughter, someone snorted and Raven almost smiled, for that snort was complete, unadulterated fury.

"You're lying." Raven turned on her heel, clenching her fist in her pockets when he continued to follow. "No. I am not. He his completely shrimpy."

He grabbed her shoulder roughly with enough force to bruise and Raven had had enough. She turned to him, her breath puffing out in front of her face. "Look, buddy. You have no right to touch me, or to follow me around like some love-sick puppy. So I suggest you leave me alone and don't touch me again. I might look small, but I can promise I can, and will, take you down." Quickly, she jerked up her hood out of habit (when she was younger and pissed off, she would always jerk her hood up on her cape), and stormed off.

The nerve of him to just touch her like that! No man, save Beast Boy, touched her, and even he shouldn't lay a hand on her. She was… untouchable, both mentally and physically.

She sighed and gave one glance back. Patrick was not following her. She resumed her exhausting job.

Beast Boy's low growl sounded in her ear. "What was that all about?"

She kept her head lowered when a couple walked by. Nothing seemed unusual or out of place about them…not that it would, of course. But she had to do something to keep her busy so judging people who walked by was her time spender.

When she was once again alone, she muttered, "What do you mean?"

"I. Am. Not. Small."

If Raven was one to show emotion, she would have grinned, but she her face stood composed. "Of course not."

"Nor am I abusive."

"You couldn't be. You're too small to do any damage. Even I could take you down. All it would take was one accurate kick and you would be down for the count."

Silence. "Thought so." She studied the aging building around her and had no idea where she was.

Beast Boy cleared his throat. "Uh, whatever. You seemed to have hit it off well with Puny."

"Puny?" She raised an eyebrow but new who he was talking about.

"Patrick." Beast Boy mumbled.

"Ah. Right. Yes, we did, didn't we?"

"Maybe too well." His voice was laced with jealously that he made no move to conceal.

"Look, it was just a minor set back. I won't see him again, so it doesn't matter one way or another if we hit it off or not. Now, I look like I'm insane, so I won't be talking to you anymore."

"But no one's around," Beast Boy whined.

"How do you know?"

"'Cause, that microphone has a tiny camera in it so we can watch everything."

Raven blinked, glancing down at the tiny electronic device. "Hmm."

"Yeah, so now you can talk to me."

"But why would I want to?" Raven sniffed, shivering against the cold. Hell, she would probably end up with pneumonia. Could she sue Twain if she became sick? It was a nice thought…really nice.

"You don't want to talk to me?" He sounded hurt and Raven almost felt guilty…almost.

"Look, Beast Boy. I'm freezing and think I'm starting to get a cold, so I'm not in the mood to talk to anyone. This time, the only reason I don't want to talk to you is because I am getting sick." She sniffed again, her teeth starting to chatter. _Damn_, she thought with an inward sneer. _This is just stupid. No one will pick me up, one, because that would be too simple, and two, I am not something that people wanted to kidnap and rape. Murder for the hell of it, yes, but not rape. They want blondes and beautiful, slim girls who can have anyone they wanted with just a quirk of their beautiful finger._ Raven was not even close to being categorized as pretty. Now Star was a different matter. Most anyone would pick her up with the intent to have her in their bed. Hell, without meaning to, Star could drive a monk to insane, jealous lust.

Raven could only drive a monk to insanity. Not lusting insanity, but pure, 'I'm loony' kind of insanity. She was really good at that. At least she had that much to say for herself. She was one hell of a hard girl to deal with.

Raven sneezed, not even close to being dainty, and groaned. "Damn you, Twain. Damn you and your partners to hell." Her voice was suddenly hoarse, a sure sign of the common cold.

"Only an hour to go, Rae," Beast Boy said softly, and Raven wondered why his voice suddenly calmed her. Jeez, she hoped she was not turning into one of those hopeless romantics who could only focus on love. It would be a cold day in hell before she ever loved someone.

* * *

Raven pushed open her door with a groan. She slammed it with her boot-clad foot and jerked off her sweater, flakes of snow falling off and melting immediately when it hit the floor. Right after her conversation with Beast Boy, it had started to snow. Hard. Luckily, Twain had said she was free to go home, but Raven was not having the best of days. First, she forgot where she lived and spent a good thirty minutes trying to decide which was to go. Then, when she finally made her decision, it happened to be the wrong way, and she wasted a good hour walking around, trying not to look like she was completely lost. Of course, the snow was building up and she had slid on more than one occasion, almost busting her butt countless time. When her apartment came into view, she had almost dropped to her knees in relief. But just as she was heading across the street, a stupid, no good snow-blower truck was cleaning the streets and drenched her with freezing snow. If she was one of the emotional types, she would have wept. 

Raven sneezed once more, her body shaking almost uncontrollably with cold.

"Hey, Rae."

Raven almost groaned, but was too damn tired too even attempt it. Beast Boy walked out of the bathroom, followed by a cloud of steam. He looked like Apollo, for some reason, and Raven wondered if she had a fever when her body heated. But hell, that heat felt good to her numb limbs so she really wasn't complaining.

"I ran you a hot bubble bath since you said you were cold, but it took you a while to get here, so it might not be as hot as I had it before. You can just run the hot water if you—Rae?" He blinked when her arms wrapped around his waist and she snuggled against him.

"You…are a complete god." He blushed when she raised on her toes to kiss him quickly, and took off toward the bathroom.

"Uh…you already have towel in there…" In her hurry to get into the hot water, she never bothered to close to door and Beast Boy watched as pieces of wet clothes flew from the room, including her underwear and bra. "Uh…enjoy." He stared at the garments before blushing and turning his head.

He heard her sigh of pleasure and smiled. "Would you like something hot after you get out, like some sort of food?"

"If you do that, I just might end up marrying you." Though he knew it was meant as a joke, he could stop the way his heart skipped a beat. What would it be like to marry Raven? He, of course, would love to spend the rest of his life with her, to have her bear his kids, but Raven would probably be sick at just the thought.

He sighed quietly. "How 'bout a cheese pizza?"

"Perfect."

"All right." Beast Boy called in the order. Hanging up the phone, Beast Boy sighed again, snatching the remote off the table. He slouched down as far as he could and started to flip through the channels. When he slouched farther, he almost ended up sliding off the couch and sat up. He yawned after a good thirty minutes of channel surfing, and was happy when the pizza man showed up. He slapped the money in the teen's hand and took the pizza, sliding it on the counter.

"Hey, Raven, the pizza's here." No sound came from the bathroom. He tried once more. "Raven? Pizza's here." Worried, he crept to the bathroom door and peeked in.

Raven was sound asleep, her head and knees the only thing visible above the white bubbles.

Beast Boy stood there, unsure if he really wanted to die this early. For sure, if he walked in on her, he would be immediately dismembered, but…sleeping in a bathtub was not exactly the smartest thing to do.

But, because he was a chicken when it came to Raven's anger, he tried to wake her up from the doorway. "Raven…Raven, wake up." Nothing. So, he crept in silently on his tip-toes. He knelt beside the huge tub and waited. Should he shake her? Nope, very bad idea…Maybe he could yell…that'd wake her up in an instant, though she has proved that she is not a light sleeper. But what else could he do?(At least something that would not end up with him being six feet under).

He sat there, watching her, trying desperately to find a solution. He could always just pick her up…oh, no. Then…he would be dead. But the though of seeing her completely nude would be worth a painful death. He blushed.

"Hey, Rae?" He whispered softly, cringing when she moved. But she did not wake up. All right. This was it, the moment of truth… Praying for his life, Beast Boy leaned in and slowly kissed her mouth. He pulled back just enough to see if she was awake and watched her eyes flutter open.

"Sorry to wake you, but the pizza's here and your bed might be more comfortable to sleep in." She nodded slowly, completely relaxed. She had no desire to leave the tub, but knew she would end up spending the night there if she was to stay. And she had no desire to look like a prune in the morning.

Beast Boy reached over to the counter, grabbing the soft white towel and stood up. She watched him, too tired to even say anything about him being in here. She would defiantly chew him out when she could move right.

He unfolded the towel and held it in front of him. She merely raised an eyebrow, sniffing slightly. "Am I supposed to stand up while you watch me?"

"Sure, if that's the way you want to do it." He grinned, watching the blush bloom beneath her pale skin.

"No. I can get out myself."

He sighed. "You know, you can stay in here longer than this. I was just going to tell you that the food was here. It can always be reheated later."

She nodded, biting back a yawn as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. "I will stay in here longer."

He grinned devilishly. "Maybe I should stay in here so you don't drown." Raven gave him a half lidded glare. "No. Get out." She slid farther down into the warm water, her muscles still burning, but gradually easing to a dull throb as the hot water did its magic. She slowly straightened out her legs, cringing in pain when the muscles screamed in protest.

She sighed, highly aware that Beast Boy still watched her. It was unnerving to think that, not two feet from her, he watched her bathe. She opened her tired, dreary eyes and tilted her head to the side. "Beast Boy, you really need to go. If I were not so damn tired, I'd kill you."

He smiled, leaning closer to her so his breath whispered across her skin. Suddenly, Raven wasn't so tired anymore.

"Beast Boy…" Raven trailed off when he pressed his lips against her, wasting no time in taking what he wanted. He devoured her mouth completely, dragging a whispered moan from her. Maybe it was time to take their 'relationship' a step farther, he thought, his hand trailing down her chest, her stomach.

Beast Boy caught Raven's gasp when his hand disappeared beneath the water.

* * *

"Damnit!" Twain bellowed, then flinched, glancing around his living room to make sure his son was no where near. Oh, how Katie, his wife, would have killed him. Connor had no right to hear his father's stupidity, as Katie called it, though she cursed more than he did. 

Finding the coast clear, Twain leaned his head down on the white table cloth with a groan, lifting it and dropping it repeatedly until his head pounded. This case was going nowhere. They had no lead, no suspects, no witnesses, and no hope. It was useless. Though the members of the Teen Titans were helping, it would still not help anything. For all he knew, the White Rose Killer was working on his next victim. While the police force twiddled their thumbs, young girls were being plucked off the streets and being raped and murdered. This was the one case that left the Jump City Police Force bewildered. How can one man be so damn clever?

All his victims had been voided of any signs of another human. No skin underneath the fingernails, no sperm inside the thighs or inside the body, no fingerprints. Nothing. Either this man was a bloody mastermind, or…Twain's head shot up. Or this man knew exactly what _not_ to do. What if…what if one of his fellow officers were behind this?

But just because the White Rose Killer knew exactly how to hide incriminating evidence did not necessarily mean that a police officer was behind it. Twain let his head drop with a groan. Maybe they were missing something. Maybe…maybe this man was too smart for the police force.

Twain slammed his forehead against the table again. Damn! Damn the White Rose Killer to hell!

Twain sighed. He could always check the background of every man and woman on the police force. Hell, he could also check to see what rapist/murders/psychos were released from prison close to the date that the first girl was found. He could also draw up every boutique shop in Jump City, dig up all the people who bought white rose buds, and do a background check on them. At least he would be doing something productive. But how the hell were you supposed to do anything when there was nothing they could do? How could they find a man that left no trace of anything when he struck?

Twain snatched up the manila folder on each on of the victims and tried to find some sort of tie between them instead of just the age range, time limit, and long hair. After three hours, he groaned, rubbing his forehead. The only tie was the fact that they had all attended Jump City Private School. Nothing more. The girls that he had taken were straight A students and never caused any problems.

Twain felt a small tug on his shirt and glanced down to find his son with his trusty Batman stuffed toy that he slept with every night clutched in his little hand. Twain smiled. He pushed his chair back to give his son room to climb up to his lap. "What's up, Buddy?"

Connor poked a tiny finger at the papers that scattered the dining table. "Mama gonna be mad."

Twain snorted. "She's always mad."

Connor nodded his head. "Yep, 'specially since she havin' two babies."

Twain blinked in surprise. "Twins?"

"No, dummy. Two babies." Connor held up four fingers and wiggled them in his dad's face.

"Where is your mother?" Twain asked, still trying to grab hold of the fact that his wife was having twins. Too much information on his tired brain. Would the surprises never cease?

"She waitin' fo you in yo room."

"She's waiting for you in your room," Twain repeated without even thinking. It had become a habit to correct his son's growing vocabulary. Connor gave him an adorable look. "Can I stay up till nine?" His lower lip stuck out in a pout.

"No. Don't give me that look, Connor." Twain set his son down and patted his blonde head. "Daddy's got work to do, so go play with mommy, okay?"

Twain watched his son bound off with the toy clutched in his hand and his heart clench with love. He shook his head and got back to business.

Twain sighed, picking up the sheet of paper that held the background of the last victim. It made no sense. He had talked with the parents of the girl and they said that she had been at home the night before she was murdered and the last time they saw her was when her mother dropped her off at school. Fellow classmates and friends said that she had left school early as always to attend her part-time job at a clothing store. The manager said she never came in. They found her not four hours after she had left from the school.

But why? Why did this man suddenly strike, breaking his usual flow? Was he actually starting to rupture, become careless in his murders? But why all of the sudden? What was the connection? Twain had been dealing with the White Rose killer for months and he had always kept his schedule. Keep the girl for exactly three weeks and murder her. When the police found the victim, another girl would disappear the next day. It had been like that for months. But now he was plucking girls off the street and raping them immediately.

It could always be a copy-cat killer, but that made no sense. Why would there be a copy cat killer when the real killer was on the loose?

Unless…Twain's back stiffened with the thought and his dark eyes widened. Unless there was more than one White Rose Killer.

* * *

Raven belted the dark blue robe around her waist and ran a trembling hand through her wet hair. Things between Beast Boy and her were getting…personal. She had never thought…never felt… Raven groaned and snatched the brush from her dresser. After he had…let his hand 'explore', left her weak and spent, he had just grinned and walked off, like it was nothing. 

No one had ever dared touch her…there, but Beast Boy had done it like he had the right. Jeez, she didn't even _really_ know him, and yet he was kissing her and touching her like a lover.

She didn't even know what she felt for him. During the building years of the team, Raven had really loathed Beast Boy and his annoying jokes, but after a year or so, his personality just…fit and was not so hard to deal with. She had gotten used to his jokes, actually found them endearing on some extent. She would admit, that for a short period, she had had the term called a 'crush'. But it quickly faded when Terra appeared. Then, emotions she had never felt before (jealousy and a short bout of heartbreak) appeared that left her confused as ever. What _did_ she feel for Beast Boy?

Raven pulled her hair back behind her shoulders and sighed. If she let him touch her like he did, then she had to have some feelings toward him, feelings that exceeded friendship. Right?

But the truth was, she was scared. Really, really terrified. What if Beast Boy found a way into her cold heart and hated what he saw? Beneath her skin she was nothing but a demon. Her heart beat like a human, but it survived on demon blood. She joined the titans in hope that she would become worth something, that she would not just be a demon, but a hero. She thought that if the world saw her as a hero, then it would be true. That the fact that she was not deemed as a demon would fix everything, free her from her father's iron grasp. But it was not true. Her father still controlled her, made her live her life in fear.

Raven plucked a piece of hair and fiddled with the ends. It seemed as if nothing could free her from his clutch. She would live her life as she did now, alone, afraid of what was to come. With a sad shake of her head, Raven pulled out her night clothes and put them on. It had been a while since she had meditated and she could feel her powers burning to be released.

Raven walked to the middle of her bed and crossed her legs, placing her elbows on her knees, and levitating off the bed. God, she was tired. And hungry too. Her empty stomach growled in response. After a quick, calming meditation, Raven crawled off the bed, pulling down her black tank top when it rose. Food was all she could think about as she padded to the main room in search of the pizza Beast Boy ordered.

She caught sight of the box immediately and made a beeline for it. She sunk her teeth into the warm pizza and nearly groaned in pleasure. She blinked, chewing slowly, when Beast Boy rose from the couch with a mischievous grin.

She dropped the pizza in the box, swallowing her food. Beast Boy crushed her to him, licking a drop of pizza sauce from the corner of her mouth. "Enjoy your bath?"

She blushed deeply, leaning back against the counter when he pulled away and grabbed a slice of pizza.

She sighed. "Look Beast Boy…about earlier…"

He shook his head and swallowed his pizza. "Look, I know what I did was…stepping way beyond the boundary but…I just had to do it…" He shrugged. "So kill me."

She just blinked, watching as he set his food down. He placed his hand on either side of her and leaned forward. "Do you regret it?"

She swallowed hard. "I…umm…"

His eyes narrowed. "Raven, it's a yes or no kinda thing. Do you regret me touching you? Do you wish I never made you orgasm, had never walked into the bathroom?"

Her eyes widened at his blunt words and her entire body heated with a flush. "This is just…happening way to fast," she stuttered. "…I'm just…" _Scared. Bloody freaking terrified_. "Not ready to go that far yet. I think we're just getting too…heated too quickly. I'm still trying to digest the fact that you're…_involving_ yourself with me…" Raven tried to muster her dignity and straightened her back. She needed to start acting like herself and stop being such a baby about something as small as this…

Hell, this was far from small. It was huge, life changing even. "Okay, look, this is the first time I have ever…uh…done anything like this before and I am just not used to it, nor am I really ready. It has nothing to do with you. I'm just…not…ready…" She lifted her chin and watched his expression.

He didn't seem mad or upset, just understanding. "Alright. Fine with me. But…you didn't hate what I did to you? I mean I didn't do anything wrong…did I?" He blushed, trying not to make eye contact with her. He was not exactly an expert when it came to pleasing women and if he screwed something up with Raven, it would be completely humiliating.

She shook her head. "No. You did not do anything wrong."

He pulled back, suddenly very shy. "How about we never bring this up again until we really have to. It'll save us both the embarrassment."

She agreed while keeping her eyes cloaked. The rest of the night, they watched movies and had interesting conversations, but Raven still could not muster the strength the forget how his hands felt on her, how his kiss could ignite feelings she never knew she possessed. But, hell, even the unfeeling demon that lurked within her couldn't forget. Maybe she felt more deeply for Beast Boy then she cared to admit.

Curled up on the opposite side of the couch, Raven yawned loudly, covering her mouth with her hand. She was suddenly overcome with fatigue and her eyes slowly started to drop, the words to the movie slowly dying out.

Suddenly, she was wrapped up in warm, strong arms. Too tired to even look up, she settled her head on his shoulder and fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

_Hannah took a deep, trembling breath, crying out in pain when the movement sent burning agony through her shoulder. She had to get out of here. She just _had_ too. He was ready for her and she found he was not a patient man. But how was she to get out? Her hands were bound by metal handcuffs above her head, which was attached to a chain hanging from the ceiling. Her feet did not touch the ground and her left shoulder had already been dislocated. It had, on more than one occasion, knocked her out and she had no idea what that man did to her when she was unconscious. Had he already raped her?_

_It didn't matter. All that mattered was getting out of here alive. She was not going to die like this. There was no way in hell she was dying so morbidly. Anyways, she had a full life ahead of her. Hopefully. _

_She wracked her brain for a way to get out of the handcuffs. She yanked her right hand down, crying out when it cut into her skin, blood…wait. That was it. Blood. If she could get the metal wet enough, she could slide her hands out. But the only problem was her shoulder. How could she do it without passing out? But this was the only way, damnit, she told herself, taking deep, calming breathes. The man would be back soon and that did not leave her much time. _

_Hannah slowly rubbed the inside of her right wrist against the metal, closing one eye in pain as the sharp metal butchered her skin. But a heavy trail of blood started to spill from the deep wound and despite her predicament, she let out a happy squeal. She had a chance to escape, if only she could make her hand slide through._

_With a hard yank and a cry of pain, Hannah managed to slide her right hand free. Now, to deal with her left hand. _

_Hannah screamed in agony as she managed to dislodge her hand and dropped to the dirt floor in a heap. She did it. She had freed herself. She pushed herself up with one hand and scrambled to her feet. _

_Delirious with pain, Hannah stumbled out of her prison, falling onto the forest floor. Right at the feet of her captor. _

_Breathing heavily, Hannah almost panicked. He dragged her up by her left shoulder and Hannah screamed. _

_"How the hell did you get out?" He sneered, his voice laced with bewilderment, admiration, and fury. "No one has ever escaped—ooof!" Hannah rammed her knee between his legs and wasted no time in running. Sharp branches tore at her face and arms, blood dripping from the shallow wounds. She was vaguely aware of the man following her, but she would not look behind her. She just ran and ran and ran, tripping once and landing on her shoulder. She scrambled up, sobs of agony and terror catching in her throat. Suddenly, she saw it. A road. Oh thank God ,it was a road! _

_Weak with pain and blood loss, Hannah stumbledonto the dark road. Suddenly, the squeal of tires sounded in her roaring ears, pain so intense filling her that she never had the chance to scream in agony. Instantly, darkness consumed her._

* * *

Hope you liked that…got an idea…anyone wanna to give a guess at who the killer is? I'll give you another chapter if you guess it right. Naw, I'll give you a chapter no matter what, but I just want to see what ya'll think. Think of it is being a detective…lol, anyways, until the next time! 


	10. Chapter Nine:January 9th

Damn…I knew I had changed Raven's name…at first I had planned on calling her Devin, but decided on Dru, so please forgive that minor mistake. Argh…but, I'll fix that in this chapter. Again, really sorry about that. Okay, I have had to change my email adress three freaking times along with my internet server! I am now Jessimudflap. Damn. (Someone took my name so I gotta use this one. grumbles But, alas, I am still Jessemudflap, just spelled with an _I_. I hate that...anyways...Enjoy.

* * *

"Are you serious?" Robin asked incredulously.

"What do you think?" Twain rubbed his pounding head as he stood in the hospital hallway. "A farmer on his way home hit her. He said she just ran out into the road and he didn't see her until it was too late. He slammed on the brakes just in time, but still hit her. Somehow, Hannah got away from the White Rose Killer. But we still are lost because, until she wakes up from her coma, we can't ask her anything."

"Yes, but you can always search the woods from which she ran, correct? Surely she was held captive close to that area." Starfire glanced inside at the pale girl lying in the bed, her skin ashen and her face beaten and bruised.

"Yeah, you're right. She was bound to leave a trail of blood or something." Twain cut a glance at Ethan, who was standing beside Robin, yet peering into Hannah's room. Robin awkwardly patted his shoulder. "She'll be just fine. If she can escape the White Rose Killer, then she can survive a coma."

Ethan gave a weak smile. "I know." His eyes instantly returned to Hannah.

Twain nodded, off in his own little world. This could be a nig breakthrough on the case…if only the girl were not in a coma.

"Are we able to go in?" Ethan asked, wringing his hands.

"Nope. They're prepping her for surgery." Twain mumbled, watching the elderly doctor walk into the ICU with four younger nurses and doctors following. They were all garbed in green paper gowns, caps, and shoes.

"How do you know?" Ethan asked as the doctor held his gloved hands in front of him and used his back to open the swinging doors.

"I asked. There was some serious damage to her shoulder and she busted her knee, so…yeah. There also worried about the scars on her back…doing some test on that, too. Said the scars on her back busted open and was one cause of the blood loss…" A young nurse with oval glasses shooed them from the hallway, telling them to go into the waiting room. A nurse would keep them updated, she said. She eyed Twain with interest before scampering off to the emergency room. Twain blushed.

Ethan slumped down into a chair, cradling his forehead in his hands. "Guess I don't need to help you anymore."

Twain's eyes narrowed upon the two undercover teens and they blushed. "Uh, yeah, he somehow found out about us," Robin muttered, shoving his hands into his jeans.

Since her legs were still so sore, Starfire eased down into a chair next to Ethan, cringing slightly. She patted Ethan's knee. "It will be all right, I am sure. We will find the wrongdoer. But you should go home and rest. There is nothing you can do here."

He nodded, leaning back. "I'm going to talk to one of the nurses and see if I can get a room with two beds so I can stay with her. I'm the one paying for this anyway, so the least they can do is let me stay, right?" Ethan smiled at her. "Sorry to have put you through…this."

"You didn't put us through anything, Ethan." Robin said, glancing around before his eyes once again landed on Ethan. "You go to Jump City Private School, right?"

Ethan nodded. "Yeah."

"Well then, Star and I go there as well now, starting Monday, so you can keep us updated about Hannah."

"You are going to JCPS?"

"Until we catch the White Rose Killer, yes, we are."

Ethan nodded again. "Alright. Then I'll see you Monday." Ethan stood up and walked to the elevators, planning on making a stop at the nurses station. It was weird. He didn't think that he had ever felt anything for Hannah, and yet, all of the sudden, in a period of less than a week, he was crying when he thought she was dead and hurting when she was in a coma. Ethan knew it wasn't just the guilt that made him want to stay with her. It was something else, something deeper than remorse. It was like…he cared for her. Creepy.

Robin watched Ethan disappear and sat down next to Starfire. "What are you going to do now?" Robin watched Starfire rub the top of her thighs, massaging the sore muscles. His hands itched to take over the job, so he shoved them between his knees, clenching them together. Hell, now his mind was filled with naughty thoughts…

Twain yawned. "Don't know. But we're sending out an alert to keep all girls between the ages of ten and twenty, just to be safe, to stay in their homes. They are not to walk to school and must either ride a bus or have a family member pick them up. This will go on until we catch this guy. Maybe it'll keep girls from being kidnapped. Just hope he doesn't break into houses, but I doubt he would."

Robin nodded and stood up. "If we do that, then when Star and Raven scout the streets, they'll have a bigger chance to be kidnapped."

"Yep. That's what I was thinking." Twain shrugged. "You better go home now. There's nothing we can do here, so…"

Standing, Robin helped Star to her feet. She slowly straightened her back, flinching in pain. "I really detest walking." Robin gave her a crooked smile. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes, actually."

"Alright, then, lets go get something to eat." Starfire nodded and started to slowly walk down the hallway, Robin beside her. "Need help?" He asked in amusement.

"No. I am fine." Once inside the elevator, which was surprisingly empty for such a bustling place, Starfire leaned against the wall, leaning down to rub her sore calf muscles.

"How do you do it?" Starfire asked as Robin pushed the button to the first floor. Jump City had a huge hospital and they were only on the ninth floor, the very top of the building.

"Do what?" The elevator jerked as it slid down. He noticed the way it creaked and groaned, but ignored it, concentrating on Starfire's hands.

"Walk everywhere on two feet. It is most uncomfortable."

He gave a small smile. "I'm just—" Suddenly, the elevator jerked to a stop, throwing both occupants off balance. They crashed to the floor hard as the elevator lights flickered on and off. The elevator groaned, then all went quiet.

"Damn it." Robin cursed, pushing himself up. He pressed button, but it was to no avail. They were stuck between the seventh and eight floor. He glanced up to see if there was some sort of escape route, but it was nothing but lights and that damn annoying elevator music. He was going to go mad if he had to stay and listen to that music.

With muttered oaths, Robin slid down the wall, resting his arms on his upraised knees. "This is just perfect."

Starfire sat up on her elbows. "What happened?"

"The elevator's stuck."

"I can always peel the top from the ceiling—"

"Yeah, but how would we explain that to the maintenance crew?"

"Oh. Of course." Starfire crawled to the opposite side of the elevator, studying the ground. She knew not to bother him when he was in one of his dark moods, and now that she could see his eyes clearly, she was _not_ about to have him blow fire at her. She slowly stretched out her legs and leaned against the wall, trying her best to ignore the elevator music. It was worse than the blaring music Beast Boy listened to.

But, since she hated quite, she asked, "How long do you think it will be before someone knows we are stuck?"

"Don't know." Was his curt answer, so Starfire eased back into silence. Figuring it would probably be awhile before anyone knew they were stuck, she tried to think of something to do, _by herself_, until Robin cooled down.

Starfire loosed her hair from the band and pulled the mass over her left shoulder, plucking at random curls. She was still not used to her hair, but she was slowly starting to like it. Tucking her legs under with care, she absentmindedly braided three curls together. This was going to be a long stay…

Robin watched her from where he sat. He wasn't really mad at all, actually. But it was the thought that every time he was alone with Starfire now, he would always get these mad urges to just…take what he wanted, which happened to be her. But Robin was not the type of guy to push anyone into something. But hell, when Ethan first arrived, he was all over her. Not that she complained or anything, but he knew Star would be the type to take things slowly. Really slow.

Robin caught himself. But he was not going anywhere with Starfire. They were teammates and maybe make-out buddies, but nothing else. Silently, he went through his rules.

No dating teammates. No falling in love with anyone. Putting his job before everything and anything. Stay away from Starfire.

Robin gave an inward groan. He really hated that last rule…but, since they were going to be in here for awhile…he could break that rule for just a little while…

"Starfire."

Thrown out of her own little world, Starfire's gaze shot up to meet Robin's.

"Yes?"

"Come here."

She blinked, but readily complied. Pushing herself up, she walked slowly to where he sat, planning on sitting beside him. But, obviously, that was not his intention.

Starfire's wide, innocent eyes snapped up to his when he pulled her onto his lap, facing him, arranging her legs so the where on either side of his waist.

"Since we're going to be her for awhile, I figure we should spend our time wisely." With a grin, his hands tangled in her hair and pulled her mouth down to his.

* * *

"You gave me the wrong name, you know." Raven dropped the piece of paper and picked at her reheated pizza.

"What, you think that was an accident? Of course I gave you the wrong name. I didn't think that meathead needed to know your real undercover name." Beast Boy took a huge bit from his pizza and watched her as he chewed. He had, unintentionally, mind you, spent the night over at Raven's…with Raven in his arms.

Oh and in the morning things had not gone to well. He ended up getting slapped. But damn Raven could hit hard.

"Why not?"

He swallowed and reached for his soy milk. "Because. What guy in their right mind follows a woman, that he doesn't even know, around like some lovesick puppy? For all you knew, he was the rapist."

"If he was the rapist, he would have already taken me." Raven tucked her feet under her as she picked at the crust.

"I guess." Beast Boy stretched out his long legs and watched her intently. "You're not mad…about last night, are you?"

"Which time, " she muttered under her breath, not meaning for him to hear.

"Look, Raven. I apologized for that countless times. I don't know what else I'm supposed to do. You want me to leave and act like it never happened? I can try. But of you're gonna keep bringing that up, then…I guess I'll just have to stay away from you, because, unfortunately, I don't know what else to do. I'm really embarrassed about what I did and you brining it up does not help my humiliation anymore." He leaned back against the chair and tried not to make eye contact with her.

She sighed. "Okay. What you did…well…uh…" She let out a huff of breath. "Okay, so I didn't hate it." There. She said it. It was all out in the open now and there was no stopping it. "If I would have hated it, you wouldn't be sitting here right now. I'm just…shocked…I guess."

"Why?"

She gave a small shrug. "I don't know. I never thought you would do something like that…"

"Why?"

"Why do you keep asking me why? I'll just give you that same answer every time, so there's no point in asking why…" She hoped her cheeks were not red, but, with her luck, they probably were.

"Well, at least you liked it, so maybe I'm not too horribly embarrassed. I'm just surprised you didn't kill me." He grinned, his entire mood brightening considerably.

"The day is still young," she muttered, bringing her cup of coffee to her lips. She detested the stuff, but it was the only thing that kept her alive in the morning. She always drowned it in cream, milk, and sugar, and hid in her room when the stuff made her hyper. Who would have thought that Raven could be hyper? It was sad, actually, how manic she really became…

"Did you hear about Hannah?" Beast Boy asked, his gaze trailing down her throat. Raven followed his gaze and blushed, chunking her crust at him. His eyes jerked up and his straightened in his seat.

"Yes. I did. It was on the news this morning. Also, they sent out an alert that all women between the ages of ten and twenty are to go nowhere alone." Her eyes narrowed when he gave her an innocent grin.

"Yep. So maybe he'll discover you now, since you'll be the only one walking the streets like an idiot." His grin widened when her eyes narrowed into slits. "That is not my fault."

"You being an idiot? I know. You were just born like that." Reaching across to his plate, she threw his pizza at him, hitting him squarely in the chest. It fell off with a plop, leaving a red stain across his shirt. His nose wrinkled as Raven fought back a laugh. "Dude! I was gonna eat that."

She gave him a smug look, leaning back in her chair. "Too bad."

Beast Boy pulled the shirt from his chest with the tips of his fingers. "Gross."

"Well, why don't you go change?"

He started to grumble, and, to Raven's astonishment, pulled his shirt over his head. "Fine. I'll be back in a minute." But everything he said went in one ear and out the other. Her wide eyes took in everything about him, from his broad shoulders, to his muscled torso and stomach, to his slim hips. His chest and stomach was voided of any hair save for the thin line that ran from his navel and disappeared into the waist band of his jeans.

_Quit staring, quit staring._ Beast Boy, gleefully aware of her gaze, acted innocent. "I'll be back." He sauntered away while Raven sunk down into her chair, her cheeks flushed and her head bowed in humiliation. He was bound to have noticed her gaze…

Raven did not ogle people, yet here she was, staring at his chest like an idiot…since when did Beast Boy have a physique? He had always been like a stick with twigs for arms and legs and now…whoa.

She was still in the same position when Beast Boy returned and he grinned. She glanced up but immediately looked away and started to pick things up, trying her best to act calm, like she usually did.

"So…what do you want to do next?"

"Why don't you go home and do something there?"

He took no offense and walked closer to her to help. He bit back a chortle when her eyes widened and she practically ran away.

"Come on, Rae. What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing. I am just cleaning." She had calmed down now so she could actually look in his direction. But not directly at him…

"Alright. So, whatcha wanna do?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." She walked around him to the couch, freezing when he grabbed her arm lightly.

"What?" She snapped, her eyes narrowing.

"Aren't we touchy this morning?" He grinned.

Yes, considering she just humiliated herself by drooling over his body. "I'm not a morning person."

"Yeah right. That was a horrible lie, you know. Even I could do better." She slapped his hand away from her arm. With a glare, he pressed his throbbing hand to his mouth. "Cranky."

She glared at him and clutched her large T-shirt, pulling it out in front of her. "Do you plan on staying here for awhile?"

"If that's all right with you."

She blinked at him, then shook her head with a light sigh. "Whatever. I'm going to go take a bath."

"Need a helping hand?" She blushed to the roots of her hair when she caught his meaning and ducked into the bathroom, mumbling vulgar curses that he could hear. With a chuckle, he crawled on to her couch, stomach first, and started to flip through channels.

* * *

Ethan slowly walked into his house, his eyes dreary with fatigue and worry. He yawned loudly, running his hand through his hair, leaving it standing on end. Leaning against the white wooden banister, his uncle watched him, his eyes narrowed. "Where were you, boy?"

"At the hospital." Ethan mumbled, glancing briefly at his uncle as he dropped his keys on the large antique desk stationed beside the door. He caught sight of himself in the large mirror that hung over the desk and grimaced. He looked like hell.

"And why is that?" His uncle scrutinized him with beady hawk eyes that shot angry fire at him.

"You know as well as I that they found Hannah. I was just checking up—" Ethan visibly jumped when his uncle slammed down a meaty fist. "I forbid you to go see her."

Ethan's eyebrows drew together in confusion. "Why?"

"Don't question me, boy. I raised you—"

"For two years, uncle. And even then Helga took care of me," Ethan said quietly, talking about his nanny from Ireland, whom he dearly loved. She was like a second mother to him, since his real mother was killed along with his father in a plane crash two years ago. The tragic loss of his parents still haunted him to this day. People say it was just a freak accident and Ethan had believed it for so long that he just…didn't care. Digging up that past would not bring his parents back, so what was the point? They were gone, he was here, and that was that.

"Ethan Lee, do not talk down to me. When I tell you not to do something, I mean it. I don't care what women you go see, but you will not, and I repeat, do not, go see that little harlot, do you hear me?"

"She did nothing to you, uncle. Why should she pay for something—"

"Damnit, boy!" Ethan's uncle backhanded him hard, the sound ringing through the servants ears, who had stopped to listen.

Ethan worked out the kink in his jaw and turned to his uncle slowly. "I will see her when I please."

"What is your problem? You are just like your air-headed whore of a mother who never listen to anything anyone—" With speed he had no idea he possessed, Ethan pulled his fist back and thrust it forward, slamming his knuckles into his uncle's nose. With wide eyes, Ethan watched his uncle stagger backwards, his hand cupped over his bleeding nose. "Fuck! I think you broke my nose!"

Ethan clenched his throbbing hand. "I will not stay here any longer. Helga." He glanced at his plump nanny with bright red hair, who quickly rushed to his side to coo over his wounds.

"Oh, Elee, your poor knuckles." Ethan smiled at his nickname, pulling his hands from his 'mothers' soft hands. "Helga, would you please start packing my things up…" A thought struck him. He couldn't just leave Hannah here by herself with that man. He would instantly kill her. "And Hannah's as well. Hannah and I won't be living here any longer."

Helga smiled, enveloping him in a huge bear hug that lifted him off the ground. "Oh, Elee, where are you to stay?" Helga was fond of the little blonde girl named Hannah. She was the one to tend to her wounds and had even wrung a laugh from the child. She was such a sweet thing. Pretty too. Just what Ethan needed. Oh what pretty children they would have!

"All I know is that it won't be here. If I have to, I'll use my collage funds to rent an—"

He was dropped so suddenly that he almost didn't catch his balance. Helga whacked him over the head with a large, tan hand. "Oh no, Elee. You go to collage and make something of yourself. Me family will not have you be a lethargic lout. We care too much, that we do. You can stay with us till you get on your own two feet." Helga's Irish accented thickened with anger. "You are going to get a collage degree, by God, and nothing is going to keep you from doing just that. You can stay with Arnold and I till things cool down a wee bit. Ye know Lucian will love to have you stay with us." She smiled when she said her toddler's name.

"I can't." At his nanny's bewildered look, Ethan hurried to explain. "I need to look after Hannah and it wouldn't be fair to live with you…"

His uncle, whom he had completely forgotten, staggered to his feet. "I will ruin you," he muttered, his hands bloody. "I will make sure you and that whore pay."

With a sneer, his uncle stumbled out of the room. With a shrug, Ethan started to plan his new life.

* * *

He really needed to stop. Starfire was beyond willing and that was a problem. Now, maybe if she didn't pour her emotions into her kisses and touch, then he could kiss her to his hearts content. The problem was, he had a feeling that she cared for him more than just being his friend. What if she… he could not even think about the dreaded _L_ word. God, he really hoped that she was just fanning her curiosity and not dreaming of a house full of children while he made out with her.

Gasping for much needed breath, Robin pulled back and leaned his forehead against hers. "We really need to stop and figure out how to get out of here."

She nodded, slowly climbing off him. She was surprised when he pulled her back down. She glanced at him. He blushed. "Just…stay there and don't move." He was having, er …minor difficulties. Something that she was bound to see and he had no real desire to tell what it was or how it came to be...

"What do you think we could do? I cannot peel back the roof and—" The elevator lurched, momentarily lifting their butts off the floor. The elevator gave a rusty groaned. Robin stood up, glancing around, his problem forgotten. "I don't think this elevator is going to hold much longer. Suddenly, the sound of metal against metal sounded.

"That sounds like…"

Robin's eyes widened. "Someone's sawing the elevator ropes." Hurriedly, without his consent, Starfire peeled back the roof with little effort and reached for Robin's hand. She had just pulled him out when the cables snapped and the elevator dropped. Quickly, Robin grabbed hold of anything to keep from falling, watching as Starfire grabbed hold of a lose cable. The weight of the elevator jerked her down and the metal slid against her hand, burning the skin from it. Biting her lip in pain, Starfire managed to get the elevator down to the first floor. Exhausted, Starfire floated to where Robin still hung and offered her hand.

She glanced down, and, with a huff of breath, wiped the blood off as best as she could and tore a piece of cloth from his shirt. She wrapped it around her hand, once again reaching for his. When finally on save ground, Robin ran a hand through his hair.

His gaze never left Star as she slid down beside him, ignoring the look people gave them.

"Why," she asked quietly, leaning her head against the wall, "do I have the feeling that someone is trying to rid of us?"

Robin said nothing, just stared ahead. For some reason, he felt the same way. Was someone trying to kill them or was the elevator stunt just to scare them? Either way, Robin and Starfire just gained a new enemy.

* * *

With a sigh, Raven leaned her head against the back of the tub, slowly closing her eyes. Maybe she should just rest…just for a minute…

* * *

_The girl screamed out in pain as the man continued to rape her. He was literally tearing her apart and the pain was almost too horrible to bear. Her throat clogged with a fright and agony. Next to her, her beloved boyfriend lay dead, blood seeping from the gun shot wound in his head. He had tried to protect her from this man, but ended up dead. The girl sobbed. _

_The man screamed out a name, a name the girl had heard somewhere before, but in her cloudy mind, nothing mattered. Her fiancé lay dead and she was going to be next. What was the point of fighting? She had already lost everything. _

_The man pulled out of her and she collapsed, tears streaming down her face. She had no strength to go to her love, so she merely sobbed, curling up in a little ball. _

_With a huff of breath, the man zipped up his pants. "Ha. They think they can keep me from women by sending out an alert? Their stupider than I thought." He pulled something out of his pocket. The girl visibly blanched when he pulled forth a white, un-bloomed rose. Oh God. This was the man who her mother had warned her about. The one who raped virginal girls and killed them. The White Rose Killer. _

_But…why did he kill her fiancé? To get to her? Her heart clenched in guilt. It was her fault that he was dead, her fault that he would never see the age of twenty. He had only been eighteen. _

_The girl was suddenly jerked up by her torn collar and thrown back against the alley wall. His gaze softened as he stroked her cheek. Sobbing, the girl tried to move from his touch. "You're so pretty, so innocent. I really hate to have to kill you…but…" She watched as he put a silencer on the gun he held. "Your not the one I want."_

_He shoved the gun into her mouth and pulled the trigger._

_

* * *

_

Raven jerked up with a scream, her breathing shallow. She couldn't breath. She pressed a shaking hand to her throat, trying to draw in breaths. She heard a loud thumb, followed by a curse. Beast Boy slid past the bathroom door, disappearing for a short time, then burst into the bathroom.

"Raven, what happened? What's wrong?" He knelt beside the tub, his brows drawn together in worry and confusion. "Raven?"

Her wide eyes stared ahead, unfocused. She was gasping for breath, her entire body shaking. He reached out to her slowly. He yelped when her hand shot from the water and gripped his with enough force to break it. Her eye slowly met his and he was surprised to find tears.

Quickly, he lifted her from the tub, not even noticing her nudity, and wrapped a towel around her. Weak, she collapsed against him. Confused, he gathered her closer and rubbed his hand up and down her back soothingly.

"Beast Boy," she murmured, her voice shaking. "He killed again."

* * *


	11. Chapter Ten: January 10th

The only real warning is that I mention a couple of spoilers, but… it's not too bad. I guess you've started to realize that this story is going to be a long one. Maybe even longer than _But I'm Only Human. _I hope so. I really enjoy this one…

* * *

Beast Boy waited for Robin at their usual table at the titans favorite pizza parlor. He seriously had to talk to him. Beast Boy sat up straighter when he caught sight of Robin, watching as he made his way to the table.

"Hey. What's the problem? Is something wrong or do you just need to talk?" Robin sat down, lifting his sunglasses to search Beast Boy's eyes. They held fatigue, worry, and something Robin could not put his finger on. Beast Boy looked far older than his eighteen years.

"I need to talk to you about Raven." Beast Boy rolled his eyes when Robin held up a restraining hand.

"Whoa, there. If this is about relationship problems, you came to the wrong man."

"Robin, if I had relationship problems, you'd be the last person I would want to talk to. You don't even know how to handle Starfire—"

"I know how do handle Star."

Beast Boy snorted. "Yeah, right. If you knew how to handle Star, you two would be dating right now or at least bed-buddies."

"I don't date teammates. It's a rule of mine that I won't break."

"Who do you think you're fooling? It has nothing to do with dating a teammate. Either you're scared, or you really don't have feelings for her. Some stupid rule you made up is just your hiding spot." Robin's eyes narrowed. "I'm not here to talk about relationships though. I'm really worried about Raven."

"What's the matter with her?" Robin glanced up when a waitress came to take their order. She batted her eyelashes at Beast Boy flirtatiously, then turned her attention to Robin when Beast Boy ignored her.

"Hey there, handsome. What can I get for you?" Robin told her his order, blushing furiously when she leaned down to get his menu. He got an eyeful of her chest, which was what she was hoping for, and found him completely adorable when red snaked up to his cheeks.

"It'll be right out." Robin watched her walk away, snapping back to reality when Beast Boy made a sound of disgust. "I suggest, to keep yourself from really hurting Starfire, that you tell her there will never be anything between you two. That'll hurt her enough, but if you don't say something now, you'll end up scaring her for life."

Robin's shoulder slumped. "We're not here to talk about me…or Starfire, for that matter. What about Raven?"

Beast Boy shook his head in sympathy, then returned to the matter at hand. "Since the White Rose Killer started targeting other women and killing them instantly, Raven's been having these…premonitions, I guess you could say. She sees what's happening to the girls when he rapes and kills them. Yesterday, she had one of those. Robin, she actually _feels_ what's going on, the pain, everything. And she knows what they think and see. The only problems is, she never sees the man's face. She says it's all in shadows. But I'm really starting to worry."

Robin's eyebrows drew together. "It kinda sounds like that time when she took over my body, except this time, she's not doing it on purpose."

Beast Boy nodded. "You're right. I think that, since she hasn't been using her powers a lot and this case has hit home with her, she's unconsciously tied to the victims. Somehow, when she sleeps, she is somehow trapped inside the woman being hurt. I'm just…really scared. I really care about her, Robin. I don't want anything to happen to her."

For some reason, Beast Boy's proclamation did not make Robin uncomfortable. "I know you care about her, Beast Boy. But I don't think this is something that you can fix. Raven's powers are beyond anyone's control, even hers sometimes. She's just going to have to go through this alone."

Beast Boy's eyes narrowed. "I really hope Star doesn't run into any problems and hope for you to help her. You only seem to care about yourself, Robin. It's always been that way…and poor Starfire…I have a feeling she knows that you don't want her. Anyways, I'm not going to let Raven go through this alone, even of there is nothing I can do. Maybe I can just help her by being there for her."

Robin shrugged, his heart heavy at Beast Boy's words. "How is Star, anyways?" Beast Boy asked, his eyes flashing with excitement when their food was set out in front of them.

The waitress slipped a piece of paper in front of Robin and Beast Boy watched as he unfolded it. It was a phone number. Robin blushed, refolding the paper and sliding it under his plate.

"Robin," Beast Boy asked quietly, "have you done anything to lead Starfire into thinking that there is something between you two?"

Robin's eyes narrowed. "What is your fascination with Star and I?"

"Unlike you, I care about other people. Star's like a sister to me and I hate it when she hurts."

"So you honestly think that I'd purposely hurt her?" Robin's fist clenched in anger.

"Not purposely, but I know you will end up really hurting her. Starfire has never had to deal with a relationship or heartbreak before, so her first heartbreak will last a while. She's too innocent, Robin. She doesn't know what to do yet. She's still trying to catch up with Earth ways. But it's not hard to see the way she feels about you." Beast Boy gave a small smile. "She's not too good at masking her feelings like the rest of us."

"Sooner or later she's going to have to deal with heartbreak. Everyone does." Robin leaned back in his chair, sulkily poking at his untouched food.

"Yeah, but most people have learned to toughen up after a heartbreak. They know that there is always someone else, but Star doesn't. She's never been outside of Jump City. For all you know, once you let this get to far and break it off, she may think that no one wants her."

"Starfire is not that naïve," Robin scoffed, but he what he said was a down right lie. Starfire _was_ that naïve and innocent. She didn't know what it felt like to hurt, or know that there was someone out there for her. Robin didn't deserve someone so pure, not with his dark past and cold heart.

"Look Robin, I know that on some level, you do care for her. You've shown it in battle when you protect her. When Slade had you under his control, you had a chance to hurt her, but you didn't. I might have been in pain, but I could hear you. We all could. And when we came to save you, her tears made you strong. You risked your life for her…for all of us, and she knew that. She hurts when you're not around." Beast Boy's face suddenly lit with an amused grin. "You should have seen her when you went to train up in the mountains. She brooded around the house, worse then Raven. Remember when you caught us all in your uniform?"

Robin chuckle, remembering when he had come home from training with the old woman. His entire team was dressed in his uniform, even Raven, and had practically died of embarrassment when he caught them. "Yeah. I remember."

"Well, she got that wooden puppet of hers and started to compliment it. She, of course, was acting like you. It was so cute." Beast Boy shook his head, taking a huge bit out of his tofu pizza. Around the mouthful, Beast Boy mumbled, "I think she took your uniform and framed it."

Robin glared at Beast Boy's sad attempt at humor. "She's not that obsessive."

Beast Boy laughed. "I know. But, you still get my drift. She's head-over-heels in love with you, so when you do tell her you have no romantic feelings for her, tell her you still care about her, just not in the way she hopes. It will take some of the sting out."

"Since when are you a break-up expert?" Robin muttered under his breath, wolfing down a slice of pizza. He didn't really taste the food, but it helped settle his empty stomach.

Beast Boy gave a sad smile. "There were some things that you don't know about that happened with Terra and me. We weren't as innocent as we looked."

Robin's interest perked up. "You mean you and Terra actually slept together?"

Beast Boy blushed. "Yeah. Quiet a few times, actually. That's why it hurt so much when she betrayed me. You only saw the innocent side of out relationship."

Robin's mood soured. Of course. Robin was the only male virgin on the team. That _so_ did not help his self-esteem any.

"Truth be told, Terra had to lead me through all of it. I had no idea what to do, but she did. Come to find out, she had stayed with this guy name…Trevalyn, I think, and he was her type, so…yeah. She learned everything from him. But, she knew what to do and lead me through it. It was kinda embarrassing though. I hadn't even kissed anyone before her." Beast Boy blushed. "How about you talk about your sex life so I don't die of complete humiliation?"

"Hell, I don't even have a sex life," Robin muttered, sneering at nothing in particular.

"Whoa. I thought I was going to be the only guy on the team that hadn't had sex yet. So, you never have? Why? I always thought that you'd be the first one too—"

"Why are we even having this conversation? It is completely off course. And embarrassing. Guys shouldn't talk about their sex life… unless their bragging and we have nothing to brag about."

"True. It's been two years since I've had anyone. But why haven't you had anyone yet? I know you go on countless dates and don't come home until way past midnight. I know. I get all the info from Star."

"I'm not going to get out of this one, am I?"

Beast Boy grinned, leaning back against his chair. "Nope. I spilled everything, so now you gotta. Fair's fair."

"Fine." Robin brooded, answering no questions.

"Fine," Beast Boy said. "I'll ask questions and you gotta answer them truthfully. Deal? 'Cause if you don't, I'll make up a embarrassing lie and tell it to Starfire." Knowing full and well that he had won, Beast Boy thought about a question to ask.

"So you've never done anything other than kissing with a girl?"

"This is so embarrassing," Robin moaned, rubbing his temple.

"You are not going to get out of this."

"Fine, okay, whatever. No, I've done everything else but…well, you know. I've done everything else and had everything else done, but just not…going all the way." Robin blushed ten shades of red when Beast Boy let out a chortle.

"I would have never thought that I would be having this talk with you, of all people."

Beast Boy ignored him and went on. "Okay, so you're not completely virginal." Beast Boy chuckled, dodging the plastic fork that Robin threw. It still hit his chest and bounced off. Beast Boy rubbed the spot where the fork had stabbed him while thinking of something else. Hell, if he had to spill his personal life, then Robin was going to too.

"But…why? Why have you not gone that far when you've done and _had_ done, everything else."

Robin was afraid of that question. Should he really tell Beast Boy why? Yeah, Beast Boy was a good friend, but this was not something Robin wanted to tell anybody, friend or otherwise.

"Does it have something to do with Star?" Beast Boy asked quietly, all amusement at Robin's expense gone. "Come on, Rob. Tell the truth. I'm not going to judge you on any of this. I could tell you anything about my feelings for Raven, but that's different. I know how I feel. But…sometimes, it might help if you get this kinda stuff off your chest."

Robin's glare held no heat. "Fine…" He was silent for a moment, thinking things through. "I just…thought that if she ever found out that I had been with another woman…that way, I'd really hurt her."

"Robin, with your feelings, you're just going to end up hurting her anyways."

"Damnit! Don't you think I know that? You act like I don't care if I hurt her or not, but I do. It's going to tear me apart when I make her cry because I can't have her. I don't deserve her. She needs someone who doesn't put work in front of their relationship, someone who will really be there for her. Someone the complete opposite of me." Robin's shoulders slumped. Truthfully, he didn't feel any better. It only hurt worse.

"Don't you think she should have a say so? What if what she really needs is someone like you? You could be perfect for her. You could make her happy." Beast Boy's eyes softened with understanding. Robin was really hurting over this.

"I could never make her happy…or anyone for that matter." Robin slid down in his chair, his eyes sad. "I don't deserve her."

"I don't think you get it, Robin," Beast Boy said softly. "You have made her happy. Who does she go to when she needs help understanding the real world? Who does she go to when she's scared, or sad, or even emotional? She always goes straight to you. Not me, not Cyborg, and not Raven. Personally, I would think that she would go to Raven for some of the matters she discusses with you, but she doesn't. She's always worried about you, Robin. She's a wreck when you lock yourself up, trying to find some sort of clue on Slade. She hurts when you hurt."

"She only comes to me because…" Hell, why did she always come to him when she needed to ask a question?

Beast Boy sighed. "Dude. You are so completely blind. Even I can see it, and that's really saying something. She really, truly, cares for you. More than friendship and all that junk."

"Nothing is going to happen between us and that's that, so let's just drop it," Robin snapped, his temper flaring when Beast Boy snorted. "Fine. I f you want to be unhappy for the rest of your life, be my guest. Just don't bring other people down because you have a peanut for a brain."

Robin growled deep in his throat, but Beast Boy was oblivious to his anger. That, or he just didn't care. "So, you gonna call that waitress later?"

"Does this have to do with Star and I?"

"Nope. I was just wondering 'cause…she kinda cute." Beast Boy grinned, loosening some of the tension that crept between them.

Robin smiled, shaking his head. "Don't forget about Raven."

Beast Boy snorted. "Hell, that waitress is nothing compared to Raven. She's like a weed next to a rose. Raven being the rose, of course."

"You're really starting to scare me, Beast Boy. All this…intellectual talk and advice. Now, your doing poetry. I think I missed something. Something very important…"

Beast Boy grinned. "Yeah, I'm scaring the hell outta myself as well. How's about we talk about something a little more interesting?"

"Good idea. Hey, have you heard from Cyborg?"

"Nope. I have no idea where he is or how he's doing. I thought he went to go stay with one of the police officers."

"Yeah…" They lapsed into comfortable silence. Robin finally regained his appetite and dug in, finishing his entire pizza in no time flat. He didn't want to have to deal with raging emotions right now, and the talk with Beast Boy left him frazzled. He needed to get him mind off of anything romantic and anything lusty, so, Beast Boy and Robin decided to head off to the gym. Whooping Beast Boy's ass was bound to get his mind off Star and confusing emotions.

* * *

Starfire sighed. Robin had gone off to meet Beast Boy and now, Star had nothing to do. She could call Raven and talk to her…no. Raven probably did not want to be bothered. Anyways, she didn't have her phone installed.

Starfire sighed once again, staring at the ceiling. She lay on her back, her head hanging off the edge and her knees resting on the back. In other words, she was upside down. She was so bored. No Robin to kiss, no interesting fungus shows, no people to talk to.

She jerked up when someone knocked on her door. Scrambling up, she ran to the door way. Jonathan's bright grin greeted her.

"Hey, Rose. I just wanted to see how things were holding up."

She smiled and pushed her hair off her forehead. "Everything is…just fine. I have unpacked most things, so I am almost at home. Why don't you come in?"

He smiled, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Naw, that's okay. I just wanted to make sure everything was going well. Need any help with anything?"

She smiled when he started to fidget in embarrassment. "No, but it was sweet of you to come and ask."

He blushed a bright red, the color a striking contrast against his hair. "Uh…no problem." He gave a shy grin and walked away.

"Jonathan?" She called out, leaning against the door frame.

"Yeah?" He shoved his hand in his pockets, blushing when she smiled at him. "If there is anything I can do for you, I would love to help."

He grinned. "Thanks. That means a lot."

She watched him walk into his apartment, wishing that Robin where here. She knew full and well that he did not care for her like she hoped, but that still did not stop her from loving him. He had been her first friend, her first kiss, her first love. He meant so much to her, even if it was just as a friend.

Star sighed and shut her door. Now was really not the time to think about stuff like that. She had better things to worry about.

She needed to find something to do. Another knock sounded at her door and Starfire opened it. She jumped back as Raven burst forth and instantly started to pace. "I can't take this anymore. This is just starting to get on my nerves. I don't know what to do. It is just going way to fast for my likings." She glanced at Starfire's, taking note of her wide eyes, and stopped. "Oh. Hi."

"Might there be some sort of problem that you need help figuring out?"

"Oh. Um. No, not really. I just stopped by to see how things were. So…how are things?"

Starfire slowly shut her door, her eyebrows drawn together. "Fine. Raven…do you wish to talk about something?"

"Seriously. I just wanted to see how things were." Raven ran both hands through her hair. "Can I talk to you about something?"

Starfire nodded, following Raven into the living room. "It must be important if you came all the way from across town just to come see me."

"It really is important, though. How are things going between you and Robin?"

By the look on her face, Raven decided that things weren't going as planned. "That bad, huh?"

"I could get better, but we are here to talk about your problem…" She tilted her head to the side. "What is your problem?"

Raven shrugged, folding her legs under her. Slowly, and in detail, she explained everything that took place between her and Beast Boy, leaving nothing out. After, she talked about her dreams.

Starfire nodded her head, trying to process everything. "So…you and Beast Boy…are an item?"

Raven gnawed on her bottom lip. "I don't know. He treats me like…a lover. But I don't know if I'm ready for that. I don't know anything about making a relationship work. I've never been in one. I just…don't know what to think. What if he doesn't want a relationship? What if he's just using me?" Raven sighed. Over the years, it had become so easy to tell Star everything she was feeling. She was not embarrassed, but somehow comforted. Star was just so easy to talk to. She understood, and when she didn't, she asked questions. And Raven was not annoyed at all when she didn't understand.

Starfire leaned her chin on her upraised knee. "Beast Boy is not one to use another person. Especially you." She smiled. "Raven, are you having doubts?"

Raven sighed again. "I…maybe…I don't…what if…what if once he gets to know the real me, he doesn't like what he sees? I am not at all like Terra and I think that is what he wants. I can't laugh at his jokes, even if I do find them somewhat amusing. I can't…give him what he needs. I can't love him." Raven gave an inward growl when tears sprang into her eyes. Oh how she hated emotions.

Starfire bit her lip. "And why not?"

Raven made a sound of disgust. "My powers. What else?"

"Maybe…" Starfire didn't know what to say. She knew that Raven was just using her powers as an excuse, but saying that aloud would just make Raven angry.

"Can we talk about something else? All this relationship stuff is confusing me."

"All right. What about these dreams you keep having?"

Raven shrugged. "Every time the White Rose Killer strikes, I see what happens. It's only in my dreams, and I have only had two, but since he has been breaking his strategies, I've actually _been_ the woman he rapes. I can feel what they feel, know what they think, how he kills them. But I just can't see his face. It's all darkness and shadows. His voice is hard to recognize as well. I can't tell if he's young or old or what. It's just terrifying. I'm scared to go to sleep alone now." She bit the inside of her lip. "You know, Beast Boy has been there every time I have these nightmares. Yesterday, he actually rocked me to sleep."

Raven blushed. He's always there when I need him most."

With a grin, Starfire asked it Raven was hungry. As Starfire prepared Raman Noodles, Raven sat at the counter and sulked. "I hate relationships and love and all the crap that goes with it. It's nothing but trouble."

Starfire chuckled. "Now that you bring it up, do you love Beast Boy?" Starfire turned to see Raven's wide, shocked eyes. Shaking her head, Starfire started to dig through the cabinets for bowls.

"Well?"

"No! Of course I don't love him. Why would I? Should I? What if I do? I don't know if I do! What is love feel like? How do you know? What if I do love him? No, that can't be right! I don't love. Don't know how." As Raven continued her ramblings, Starfire pushed a steaming bowl of soup in front of Raven. Starfire hopped onto the counter, crossed her legs, and dug into her food.

"Raven," Starfire interrupted, swallowing her food. "People cannot help how they feel."

Raven brooded. "Don't you think I know that?" She shoved her fork into the noodles, grumbling about nothing.

"Well then, if you love him, you'd know. When you love someone, you just…know." Starfire slowly lowered her eyes to her food. "It is just there."

Raven cocked her head sympathetically. "I guess you'd know, wouldn't you?"

Starfire cleared her throat. "I thought we were off the topic of love and all of its kin."

"You're right. So…" Raven swallowed a mouthful and raided Star's fridge for something to drink. "What's your undercover name?"

"Rose Skylar, I think. What is yours?"

"It's Dru Moody. I met this guy while walking around the other day and Beast Boy told me my name was Devin. I believed him too, but he lied. He said that he didn't want the guy to know my undercover name." Raven rolled her eyes. "He's overly protective."

Starfire smiled, but inside, she was jealous of the relationship between Raven and Beast Boy. It would be something she would never have. Starfire shook her head. Raven was finally happy and that was all that mattered.

"That's a good thing, though."

"I guess. Anyways…we just can't stop talking about men, can we?"

Starfire laughed. "I guess not. They are such an interesting topic to converse about. We can, instead, talk about their flaws. They do have many."

Raven's eyebrows rose. "And I thought you didn't have a mean bone in your body."

Starfire gave her a mischievous grin. "There are some things I keep hidden."

Raven shook her head in amusement. "Alright. Making fun of their flaws sounds like a goodplan to me."

* * *

Yeah, I know. Not a very interesting chapter, but I just wanted to get their feelings out in the open so I can use them to my advantage. Hehehe. Yes, I'm an evil little writer. Anyways, hope you at least like this chapter a little. Until next time! 


	12. Chapter Eleven: January 11th

* * *

Ethan stared up at the white hospital ceiling, his hands folded under his head and his foot moving in motion to Killswitch Engage that blared through his black headphones. He had been in the room for only three hours, yet it felt like days. He had tired of watching the ever-present soap operas and had bugged the doctors to madness. He had sat by Hannah's side, but too many emotions arose at looking at her pale face. She had just come from surgery, and though the nurses said it was forbidden for him to stay with her while she recovered, he paid them a handsome amount of money that left them wide eyed. He had money to spare, so he was not worried. 

He would use the money he kept hidden in a secret bank that not even his uncle knew about to build a house in the country from him and Hannah. It would be a small house, he mused, with only three bedrooms. Why three, he had yet to decided. The kitchen would be huge, with marble counters and wooden cabinets inlayed with glass. The den would be lofty, with towering ceilings and a roaring fireplace.

While plans flowed through his head, Ethan glanced over at Hannah, watching her chest rise and fall with each breath she took. His heart clenched as he sat up Indian style. It was no secret that he had been with many other women, but…he had never left like this with any of them. He barely knew Hannah, and yet she held him in her slim palm. He had stood up to his uncle, which he had never done before, in her defense. She was…changing him, without her even knowing. It was down right scary.

Ethan's eyes shot up when the door opened and a rail-thin nurse walked in, clutching a clipboard in her hands. She smiled at him before turning her attention to Hannah.

Shoving down his headphones off his head, he watched the nurse like a hawk.

"Is it against hospital rules to ask what was exactly wrong with her?" Without glancing up from her clipboard, the nurse answered, "Sure thing, honey. Are you her fiancé?"

Struck stupid, he merely stared. "Uh…"

She chuckled. "I reckon you aren't. Anyways, there was serious damage to her knee, and her ribs were broken. No concussion or brain damage, nor is her spinal cord damaged in anyway. Those lashes on her back had busted and one or two became infected, but that's taken care of. Her shoulder was dislocated and shattered, so, that'll take another surgery in it self, as will her knee. She's not through yet." The nurse glanced up at him when he said a quite 'oh'.

"Oh, by the way, we need to ask a personal question that effects the patient. We would ask her but…yeah. We need permission to…"The nurse sighed. "We need permission to confirm if she was sexually assaulted, if you must, and since she is under age, we need permission from a parent or guardian. Also, we can't check without permission when a patient is comatose. New laws. Some stupid doctor in Gothem raped a comatose patient. Anyway, we called her mother, and she said…to ask you."

Ethan's eyebrows drew together. "Me? Why me? I'm not her guardian or anything like that."

"Actually, I'm still a little confused myself, but your uncle said that she was in your care now and all medical decisions were up to you. I'm not sure if that's even legal, but, he's mayor and what he says goes. So, all medical expenses are up to you."

Ethan brushed aside the fact with a shrug. "Yeah, fine, whatever. But…Hannah's in my care now?"

The nurse shrugged. "I guess. Son, this is really unusual to me, so… anyway, is it fine with you to make sure she wasn't raped?"

"Yeah, please do it."

"Alright, but I need to ask a quick question. Has she had any sexual relations before?"

Ethan gave a curt shrug. "Dunno. Why?"

"Common procedure. If she has, then it will be harder to find of she has been raped. Anyway, thank you for you cooperation."

Ethan watched the nurse walk away in half a daze. Hannah was under his protection? His uncle had to be up to something. There was no way in hell that his uncle would give up so easily. He knew that is wasn't the money thing, but him being in control of Hannah. Was that legally possible? She was a minor as was he, so how could he be in legal care of her?

With a groan, Ethan fell back against the pillow. This was starting to give him a headache.

* * *

_How the hell did she get away from him? He bad been so careful, making sure he chains were as tight as possible. He had even made sure her shoulder was useless so she couldn't escape. But that bitch did, and if she ever woke from the coma, she would tell everyone who he was. All his dreams would be ruined and he would rot in prison. There was no way in hell he would spend the rest of his life in a jail cell. _

_He had dreamed of becoming famous since he was twelve. Seeing his name splashed in the headlines, having people fear him. A sick way of thinking, but it worked for him. He knew he was a disgusting bastard, but he couldn't help it. It was who he was. A rapist. A murderer. A bloody genius._

_It had been five months since he started kidnapping under-aged girls and raping them. And he still had not been caught. He was not going to be caught, damnit. No woman bested him. No man on God's green earth could take him down. He would make sure that Hannah Carson Jones never told his secret. Never. _

_

* * *

"Come on, honey. There's no need to be nervous. It's just high school…" Darcy raised an eyebrow. "Okay. So maybe there is a reason to be nervous." She shrugged, stepping over Marty as he made a few adjustments to Raven's skirt._

"Do I look nervous?" Raven snapped, glaring at the top of Marty's dark head. Darcy just smiled, noting the way the girl's fist clenched. "Alrighty then. My mistake." Marty glanced up with a smothered grin. The girl was a raw bunch of nerves clenched together, ready to burst in an instant. She might be a titan, but deep down, she was still a true teenager at heart.

Beast Boy yanked on his tie with a groan. "This really bits monkey butt. I hate ties and all that relates to 'em." He yanked on his dress pants that had to be worn, trying to pull them down over the tacky black loafers. With an aggravated hiss when the buggers still would not corporate with him, he sprawled out on Raven's couch and watched them pamper her.

In less than two hours, they would step through threshold of Jump City Private School, with the snooty students and crabby teachers with no personal life. They, or better yet, he, would be stuck by himself while others critiqued him behind his back. Not that he really cared what people thought about him, as long as it didn't affect Raven and what she thought about him.

Marty tugged Raven's white, button-down blouse, and Beast Boy had the strangest urge to unbutton them slowly, revealing the soft pale skin that lay beneath, watch the desire wash across her face… holy hell. His dark eyes widened as he sat up quickly, flabbergasted at his own thoughts. He cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck where the muscles suddenly clenched.

His face heated when Raven lifted an eyebrow at him. Darcy stood behind her, tying her hair in a ponytail at the base of her neck and arranging it to her pleasure.

"Problem?" Raven asked.

He shook his head and slouched back down. "Nope."

"Is your skin naturally gray?" Marty asked, his head tilted as he studied her legs. Raven glared and slowly moved away from him. "Yes. I'm half human, half demon." She felt a tiny surge of smug pleasure when his eyes widened. "Oh." He quickly went back to his work on adjusting her skirt.

"Why don't you go bother Beast—I mean, _Logan_, instead of me?"

"He doesn't need make-up. You do." At Raven's glare, Darcy quickly added, "Wait. That came out wrong. What I mean is, uh, girls in particular need make-up. Yeah."

Marty rolled his eyes. "Nice catch."

Darcy huffed. "Shut up. Anyways, I'd say you are ready to go." Marty and Darcy retreated. "We've still got to head to the other one's place, so…guess we'll see you later." Gathering up their supplies, they headed for the door, already arguing about colors and make-up combinations.

"Well…" Still uneasy about his little…_dream_, Beast Boy shifted. "I'm so not looking forward to going back to high school. It is so gonna suck."

"Toughen up." Raven smoothed out her skirt and arranged it around her knees. "You've had to deal with worse things than high school."

He made a sound of agreement. "Yep, sure have. 'Specially with Terra." Unconsciously, Raven's muscles stiffened at the dreaded name. She was still really sore about the happenings between Terra and herself. Terra had made it very clear that she had only used Beast Boy because Raven had feelings for him (she so did not, but the thought of her using Beast Boy rubbed her raw) and she would have done anything to make Raven jealous. Raven didn't know if she had been telling the truth, or was just trying to get a raise out of her, seeing as they were in a fight to the death, so to speak, at the time. She had also let out a few private details about Beast Boy, some which, at the moment, had Raven blushing scarlet. The things Terra had said were meant for the bedroom only.

"But, that's the past, this is the future, and right now, I am so not looking forward to this. You can't tell me that you're not nervous."

Raven cut him an irritated look. "I'm never nervous." Beast Boy's eyes stopped mid-roll as an idea popped up into his head.

"Never?" Her eyes narrowed at his smooth tone of voice. He was up to something.

"What are you getting at? You're up to something, _Logan_, and I want to know what it is. I swear, if you're going to kiss—"

"You're gonna what?"

His lips curved when she made no answer. "Don't worry. I never planned on it. Got better things to do than kiss you, more…enjoyable things."

Her eyes momentarily widened in shock before narrowing into slits. "What do you mean?"

He shrugged, stretching out his legs and propping them on the sleek wooden coffee table. "It means how it sounds." He was goading her, trying to spark her temper. And by God, it was working.

Unsure if he was joking, trying to get a rise out of her, or telling the truth, Raven just sat there, her face masked, though she was on the verge of being hurt. Did he seriously not like kissing her? Was she that bad? Why the hell did is matter? It wasn't like it hurt her that he didn't like to kiss her…at least it didn't hurt that bad.

To make it look like it didn't matter, she didn't blow up, nor did she leave in a huff, though she wished to do both. She was just going to sit here, calm and halfway pleasant, and act like it didn't matter. Things were just fine. What did it matter if he didn't like kissing her? Hell, she was just jumping to conclusions. He didn't even say he didn't like kissing her.

She tore skin from her lip, sweeping her tongue over the drop of blood that beaded. It didn't matter. Nope. Not at all.

"Come on, Rae. Say something. Yell at me or hit me. Something."

She said nothing, plucking invisible lint from her blouse. She hated her clothes. Tacky, boring, school uniforms. Her mind began to wonder away from the clothes and back to Beast Boy. She needed to forget about what he said. It didn't matter…hell, she didn't have to take this from him.

She stood up fast, throwing him off, and backhanded him so suddenly, it took him a minute to realize that she had just slapped him. But when it did register, his rubbed his stinging check. "What the hell was that for?"

Raven tucked the hand she had hit him with under her blouse, shocked at her own actions. She had just hit him…hard… Though she had to admit she was more pleased than she should have been.

"You had it coming for a long time so don't act so shocked."

He looked incredulous. "What do you mean I had it coming on? You just slapped me."

Raven rubbed a damp palm over her skirt, hiding her nerves behind masked eyes. "Not hard enough, obviously."

He grabbed her hand when she started to walk away. "I can't believe you hit me…"

"Well, I did, so get over it." She yanked her hand back and gave him a smug look.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you hit me?" The sting had left, but the shock remained. It was not like her to become physical unless pushed. And when she was mad, she never hit him, only insulted him. _Hell, guess I got a damn good rise out of her. _

"As I said before, you had it coming and now seemed like the perfect time. Next time, I'll hit harder.

She smoothed out her skirt one last time, then calmly raised her eyes to his. He was laughing. What the…why was he laughing so hard?

Gasping for much needed breath, Beast Boy wiped at his eyes. "Jeez, Rae, you're so easy." That little comment had fire leaping into her eyes.

"Easy, huh? Easy how?" Realizing his mistake, Beast Boy blinked. Her cool, compressed temper was far worse than her unleashed fury. At least when she let her anger out he knew what to expect. Now, he knew nothing.

"It was…I mean…uh…I didn't mean it that way…I'm gonna shut up now." He rubbed the back of his neck, concentrating on her shoes so not to make eye contact with her, but making sure he knew when she would move.

"Then how, tell me, did you mean it?" Her shoes moved closer to him, almost in front of him, and his blinked. "Not the way you're thinking."

"How was I thinking?" She was standing in front of him, but he made no move to back away or lift his eyes.

"This has nothing to do with anything that involves…physical relations. I was just trying to get some sort of reaction out of you…nothing personal." He cleared his throat.

Stepping forward so she was pressed seductively against him, she traced the line of buttons that ran from the neck to his waist, where they disappeared in to pants, with the tip of her finger.

"You know it was personal when you use my skill at kissing against me," she said, her eyes darkening with suppressed humor when he sucked in a breath.

"I wasn't using you skills against you. In a way, it's your fault because you brought up the whole kissing thing. I was gonna use something else against you, but I just couldn't help myself…" He trailed off when she slid a button out of the cloth. What was she doing? No, better yet, why was she doing this?

She trailed her eyes lazy up his torso to meet his eyes, which, unfortunately, were still downcast. "So, you don't enjoy kissing me?" She was so close now he couldn't see her shoes. But got an eyeful of her chest. She stamped on his toe when he eyes didn't raise.

"Raven, what are you doing?"

"Answer my question." She slid her hand into the opening of his shirt and rested her palm on the white muscle shirt, felling his quick intake of breath. Her heart gave a quick flutter at having this kind of control over him.

He swallowed as she jerked the shirt from his pants. "I, ah, don't remember what your question was…Raven, you've gotta stop."

Her lips quirked. "Why? If you don't enjoy kissing me, then this shouldn't be so hard to handle."

"I was just trying to get a rise from you. I didn't mean it—" He jerked when she laid her hand on his bare stomach.

"So you do like kissing me." She trailed her hand upward, marveling at the muscles that bunched beneath her hand. His sinewy frame fascinated her for some reason. She couldn't help but wonder what he looked like beneath his clothes. She blushed, but kept her eyes level with his.

"Ye-yeah. Jesus, Raven, stop it." He couldn't take her wondering hands much longer.

She pulled her hand back but he felt the swift lash of disappointment. It didn't last long. She unbuttoned the rest of his shirt, unclipped his tie, and raised on her tip toes to push it off his shoulders.

"What the hell are you going?"

"Shut up, Beast Boy." He felt like a statue being studied, critiqued, and examined for any apparent flaws. And it wasn't a half-bad feeling. She fingered the simple sliver chain around his neck, tracing the austere wolf that hung from it. Normally, being this close to someone would have left her uncomfortable, but she was too tied up in studding him in his muscle shirt. She wasn't some eighteenth-century woman who had no idea what the male body looked like until they were married, but the closest she had gotten to a man without a shirt on was on the beach, when the titans took their mini-vacation to get away from all the crime for a short while. But that was when they were young, just starting out as a team, and when Robin and Beast Boy had looked like sticks with hair.

She was dying to see him shirtless again, but her courage was slowly starting to dim, and was being replaced by embarrassment at her own acts. But for now, this was just too much fun.

"Raven…" He blinked when she walked around him to study him from behind. He had the strangest urge to whip around to keep her eyes from wondering down. "You act like I'm the hunkiest man on earth."

She took the time to raise her eyes from his butt to give him one of her 'you wish' stares. He shrugged as some of the shock wore away and the male smugness took its place. "Come on, Rae. If your gonna do that, take pictures. I can't stand here and have you drool over me the rest of the day…actually, I can, but—ouch!" He rubbed the back of his head where Raven had whacked him.

As if losing interest, she picked up his shirt, shoved into his hands, and told him to put it on. He didn't know whether to be amused or offended. He chose both.

"Fine." As he slid his shirt on and tucked his undershirt back in, Raven watched him, her right hip resting comfortably against the counter. He didn't button his shirt, but rather shoved his hands into his slack pockets, meeting her unwavering gaze with his own.

It was her, surprisingly, who turned away first to dig out her morning tea and fill the pot with water.

"You still mad about my stupid little slip up?"

"You always make stupid little slip-ups, so I'd appreciate it if you would be specific."

He glared at her, folding his arms in front of his chest. "Never mind. It doesn't matter, because…it just doesn't. I'm gonna go get something to eat before we hit the hell-hole, so, see ya."

Raven watched him walk away, her head tilted to the side. When he turned around to say a snappy comeback he had just thought of, he realized she was in her own little world, her eyebrows drawn together, as if remembering something. Confused, he shut the door behind him, hands stuffed in his pockets. He would worry about what she was thinking. Now, he was just hungry.

* * *

Twain gnawed on his thumb nail, his face calm, but his stomach lurching at the sight before him. Ortega sigh, rubbing his hand over the back of his forehead and walked over to Twain, while studying the remains of the girl that was splattered over the side of a building. The stench was choking, blood mixed with old garbage and the faint scent of gun power. No a pleasant combination.

"I don't understand. There was a white rose, yet a man was killed also. I guess he killed the guy to get to his victim."

"He's pissed," Twain muttered, slowly walking to the body where the coroner, the same woman who had come when they found the other victim, crouched down on her heels.

"Pretty nasty business, huh, Twain?"

"Yeah."

She sighed, pulling the black cover over the girl. "I'd say he's getting sloppy. Now, he's killing people in public places. This place is busy all during the day and night. He's either really mad, or up to something. I'm still flabbergasted that he killed a man. He could have just found another victim."

"No…with that alert we put out, girls are to stay inside. If they're caught, hopefully by us, they'll spend three weeks in Juvenile. Don't think they would venture out alone. This girl had a bodyguard and was still murdered. We're going to ban anyone from roaming the streets. Men and women. That's all we can do." Twain rolled his neck, cringing at the crick.

"I've dealt with a lot of bodies, Twain. But I've got thirteen year old twin girls at home. Remember the girl that was found scattered all over the place? That was their friend. She had just spent the night a week before she was kidnapped. It's hard to autopsy girls that you've seen laugh and cry with your own children. Hell, it's hard to dissect kids period." She fished out a white lace hankie and started to clean her glasses. "They still cry at night." She sighed, shoving the hankie back in her pocket. "Not hard to figure out the cause of death for either of them. But, I'd say they haven't even been dead six hours. I'll do the dental work to identify them. I'll have it by tonight, so I'll call."

Twain nodded, moving out of the way when the stretchers came. He made a sound of disgust when the reporters pilled out of vans with their cameras loaded. Didn't these people have a life?

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he dipped beneath the yellow tape and told himself he would be calm.

"Detective Twain, is it true you've found another victim of the White Rose Killer?"

"Yes."

"Do you know who the woman was?"

"Confidential Information, Miss."

"Alright, how was she murdered? Was she raped? When do you suppose the attack took place?"

"Can't tell you, miss. Confidential Information." He almost smiled when she let out an aggravated sigh.

"Is there _anything_ you can tell us, Detective?"

"Yes. But I'm not." He did grin when her face fell and strutted off to Ortega, who was busy holding back curious on-lookers. "Ortega, I'm going to head back to the office and file some paperwork." If there was one thing he hated more than rapist and murderers, it was paperwork. But at least in his little office, he didn't have to worry about pesky reporters.

"Alright." Grabbing the megaphone that sat beside him, Ortega flipped on the switch. "People, people! Move aside! I'd appreciate it if you'd move away!"

"That'll move 'em." Twain mumbled with amusement. He rolled his eyes, rolling his neck once more. Maybe Katie would give him a neck massage when he got home. She's probably call out baby names while she was at it. Twain smiled as he walked to his care, completely unaware that he was being watched.

* * *

Deep breathes. Deep, calming breaths. It won't be the end of the world. It's just high school. Boring, non-important high school. Nothing to be worried about. But Beast Boy's heart squeezed in apprehension when the building came in sigh. It was more like an eighteenth-century castle to be more like it, with looming towers and gargoyles poised on the ends of the roof, watching, waiting, for it's next pray. The building was a dark brick with cathedral-type doors and windows, with a large fountain spurting in the main courtyard. Teenagers in uniforms meandered about, skateboarding or gossiping, making out or screaming, sulking or laughing.

While Raven pulled into the parking lot, Beast Boy watched the people glance up at their black Hyundai Santa Fe with bland interest.

Raven glance at him from the corner of her eyes, mildly worried. "Look, it won't be that bad, Beast Boy."

"Whatever."

She turned down her music, so Linkin Park blared softly through the speakers, and parked the car. "Would it help if I told you I'm nervous too?"

He sat up in his seat, studying her. "Are you serious? You're nervous too?"

"Somewhat, yes."

He gave a cute, crooked smile. "Yeah, I guess it does help."

She fished out her schedule from her notebook. "It won't be so bad, seeing as we have first, third, fourth, and sixth period together. That leaves you alone for, what, three periods? Who knows, you might even have Robin or Star in your other classes. So, don't sweat it. First days always the hardest." She sounded like a mother consoling her children.

His mood brightened considerably as he leaned over to kiss her lightly. He grinned as he pulled back. "Thanks, Rae. I really needed that."

She gave a slow nod. "Don't expect it all the time, though." He winked as he climbed out of the car with his notebook tucked under his arm. She couldn't help but notice how cute he looked as a school boy. He held up a hand when she opened her door. "The least I can so is help you out of the car." He scrambled to her side, opened her door, and bowed at the waist. "May I help you down, my lady?"

She rolled her eyes, though she was highly flattered. When he held out a hand, she shoved her books into it. "You can carry my books, dear sir."

He chuckled, tucked her books with his under his arm, and intertwined their fingers. "I shall escort you to class, my lady." He smiled down at her. "That is, unless you're embarrassed to be seen with me."

"Hmm…well, since you're carrying my books, I guess I can deal with you for a little while."

He laughed. "You know how to wound a man, Raven."

"I try my best." Ignoring the stares of curiosity they were getting, Raven pulled Beast Boy to a stop. "There's Rob—I mean…what are their names again?"

"Er…I think…maybe Rose and…Grayson. Yeah, that it. Rose and Grayson."

"Should we go over there or are we not supposed to?"

Beast Boy watched them as Star finally caught eye of them. She tugged at Robin's sleeve to get his attention. When he didn't look at her, she followed his gaze to a petite blonde with short hair and dropped her hand. Gathering up her books, she made her way to Beast Boy and Raven without Robin in tow.

"Hello, friends." Her greeting was not laced with the usual cheer she always seemed to portray.

Raven lifted her head in greeting, watching Robin as he glanced beside him to find Star gone. He panicked for a moment, turned around and spotted her, then let out what seemed to be a sigh of relief. Starfire caught his gaze and snorted, a very unladylike sound, and turned her chin up. He blinked in confusion, wondering about her attitude.

Beast Boy smothered a chuckle. "So…what's your first period, Star?"

"My what?" She lowered her chin to look at him, confused. Why would he want to know about her monthly cycles?

"Class. Your first class you go to." Raven knew what direction her thoughts had headed and couldn't help but smile.

"Oh." She opened a purple binder and started to rummage through it in search of her schedule. Lowering the rest of her books, she neatly unfolded the paper and scanned the ink. "It says Government."

"Ah, you poor thing. What's Robin got?"

She shrugged. "You will have to ask him."

"Alrighty." Beast Boy grinned. "Howdy." Robin, who had just walked over, lifted a hand in greeting. "I think we're supposed to go to the office first. I asked someone where it was, and she said it was through the front doors and to your left."

Star bent at the knees to pick up her books, tucking her hair behind her ears when it fell over her shoulder. Rising, she held them to her chest like armor. The morning bell shrilled, signaling the start of the day, and the undercover teens pushed their way through a throng of cranky students. Beast Boy kept his arm around Raven's waist so not to lose her, while Robin held Star's hand. When they were practically pushed through the doors of the large office, the sat down on the stiff, brown leather chairs and waited for some assistance.

Robin tapped his finger against the wood arm rests. Though it didn't show, he was so nervous. He hated big crowds, which was what a school was. He hated talking to people, explaining who he was, where he came from, what year he was born. Though he had studying everything there was to know about Grayson Rich, he was afraid that he would slip up and ruin everything.

Grayson Rich was from Australia, a foreign exchange student. He would have to talk like an Australian, walk like one, act like one, the whole works. Grayson was orphaned at a young age and lived with his aunt, who recently died, and left him alone. Deciding it would be best to put him with an exchange family through his senior year, the Australian Government sent him to America. Rich is smart, a little rowdy, and outgoing. It would be tough to play the part, but Robin was willing to do it.

A short, stout man with balding gray hair stepped forward. "I'm Mr. McDurmont. Can I help you?"

Slipping into her dreaded country accent, Raven said, "We're the knew students." She worked up what she hoped past for a smile and crossed her legs. Dru moody was a country girl from the get-go. She farmed in Tennessee all her life and was a well-known barrel racer. But after a tragic accident that almost killed her, her parents thought it best that she spend her senior year in Jump City, with her grandparents. Moody is outgoing, playful, and a little slow when it comes to math. Raven knew she was going to have a hard time being Little-Miss-Perfect, as Dru was supposed to be. She was going to have to smile, and laugh, and be everything that she wasn't. It was not exactly her cup of tea.

"Alright. Let me go fetch your books and a map of the school and you can be on your way." With a nod, the teens watched him go.

"Nice accent, Dru Moody." Raven hit Beast Boy hard across the stomach.

"Shut up."

"That was a complement, I hope you know." Rubbing his stomach, Beast Boy leaned back in the chair. "What class do you have, Robin?"

"Government. Mrs. Dually."

"Hey, I think Star's got that class. Who's your teacher, Star?" Beast Boy asked, snatching Robin's schedule from his hands.

"The same as Robin, I think."

"Cool. So each of us won't have to worry about being alone first period." Beast Boy said, though his voice was dull with his anxiety. Logan Field, the poor bad boy with an attitude from hell. Field was sulky, a charmer, and never paid attention to anyone. He always has a sneer of some sort on his handsome face, and had the ladies swooning. All Field cared about getting out of a small city. His parents, in hopes of straightening him out, moved him to Jump City after he was arrested for a brawl fight, which he won. He had lived in a hick town since he was born, and moving to another small place set him on edge. Beast Boy had no idea how to me moody, so he planned on having Raven tutor him.

"Amazing," Raven muttered.

Sighing, Starfire folded her hands between her knees. Suddenly she wasn't looking forward to this as she had been since they started. She had never been to an earth high school. On her home planet, she had been tutored. She had not been allowed to attend the public schools, or mingle with the other people of her village, or the 'commoners'. She had been sheltered on Tameran, as her sister had, but Black Fire had not obeyed the law and snuck out of the kingdom. Star had no idea about the real world, or her world, when she came to earth. All she knew was to sit up straight, never talk to the opposite sex, and never speak unless spoken to. She broke all of those rules, though.

What if she did something wrong? What of she understood nothing in the classroom and ruined the image of Rose? Rose Skylar was a genius, excelling in everything she does. She is shy, painfully so, and is always caught reading a book. She never speaks unless spoken to, has never played any type of sport, and moves away from crowds, even small ones. She is younger than most of the seniors, seeing as she skipped a grade, and her parents, who have allowed her to live alone, think that Jump City is a safe, quiet place for her to go to school. Star hoped she didn't screw it up for everyone.

The bald man stumbled out with an arm full of books. Beast Boy and Robin jumped up to catch the man as he tripped and fell, sending books scattering around everywhere. Raven caught a government book just as it was about to hit her head and mumbled a curse when one hit her lap. Star stood up and crouched down, gathering up all the textbooks while Robin and Beast Boy tried their best to push to man back up. He had to be at least 350 pounds, if not more. While they wrestled the man back up (his feet were not even touching the floor. When he fell, face first, Robin got the front end while Beast Boy was stuck with the tree-truck legs), students stopped to peer into the glass window that separated the office from the hallways to see what all the ruckus was about. They laughed, whispering about the new students and their clumsy principle.

What they saw was too attractive teens trying to push fat Mr. McDurmont up while the two stunning girls picked up the dropped books. It was quite a sight.

"Dude, I'm slipping!" Beast Boy's eye widened when he felt his feet slip.

"Wait, son. I can get up if you'd just release my feet." Slowly, Beast Boy dropped the feet , which weighed about a hundred a piece, and helped Robin push the man back to his feet. Mr. McDurmont dusted himself off, his chubby cheeks red with embarrassment.

"I can't thank you enough, young men. That was mighty sweet of you to save an old man from humiliation." Mr. McDurmont ushered the students from the hallways, threatening D-Halls and waving his plump hands.

Straightening his tie, the old man turned to the teens. "I'm Mr. McDurmont, as I've already said. I'm the principle of this school. I'll guide you through your stay here with us. If you'd follow me, I'll explain the rules of my school. Please, follow me."

Fighting hard to stay awake as the principle went on and on about the rules, the titans tried to think about something to keep them from snoring.

Beast Boy slouched down in his char, leaning his head against the back of the plump chair, and stared at the boring white walls.

"Now, I think there is something you should know…Titans." All fatigue was forgotten as their heads snapped up.

Speechless, the titans gawked at him. Robin's mouth opened, then shut, and finally he muttered, "We're horrible undercover agents. First Ethan, now you."

McDurmont chuckled, folding his hands behind his head and relaxing. He hated being so stiff and proper, and with the titans, he could be himself. He and his wife had watched the titans on TV since they became superheroes, and now that he was meeting them in person, he wanted them to know the real him, not the stiff-necked principle he was forced to be in front of his other students.

"You work with Darcy, right?"

They nodded. "She's our makeup artist," Raven said.

McDurmont grinned. "Darcy's my daughter. Since Alexander knew me and Darcy was popular with Twain's brother, he allowed her to help you. Alexander grew up next door to us. Did you know he's only thirty-two? Pretty young. He married his partner, too. Heard that she was injured pretty bad before they were married. He was there, too, when it happened. Poor man had a breakdown. But now he's got a little boy and I think she's pregnant again. Anyway, that's the only reason I know, so around me, you don't have to worry. I'm not gonna blab." He loosened his tie and kicked up his heels, leaning back against his office chair.

"Hmm." Robin glanced at his teammates. "So…when do we go to class."

McDurmont blinked, then his lips formed an _O_. "Oh, right. Go ahead. Your books are in the main office. Just pick on of each and be on your way." He winked at them and started to scribble on a notepad.

"Well," Beast Boy said as he dug for a Calculus book, "the world is full of surprises, huh?"

Robin grunted, handing an English book to Star. "That's an understatement. First, Ethan knows who we are, and now him."

Raven had no idea who Ethan was, but she kept quiet. Beast Boy's hand brushed hers, and they froze for a moment at the jolt, briefly making eye contact, then returned to searching for their books.

"I wonder how he found out," Star said to herself, adjusting her books until she was comfortable.

"He's the mayor's nephew. The mayor knew, so Ethan probably dug up info on us."

Starfire smiled. "It was so romantic of him to track us down just to help with Hannah."

Robin shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah. Romantic."

With a low chuckle, Starfire walked out of the office, her eyes going from her schedule, to the numbers above the doors. She was so scared. She was going to walk into a room and have more than a dozen students staring at her. Usually, she loved the attention, but not now. Now, she just wanted to go back to the tower and her normal life. But she had all those girls to think about. The ones who had lost their life because of some sick man with an obsession.

Robin slid to a stop beside her with a smile. "Since we have the same first period, I thought I'd walk you there."

She smiled at him. "How chivalrous of you, Grayson."

"Oh, yeah. Forgot about the names. Watch someone call out Grayson and I won't answer. People'll think I'm deaf or something. Maybe stupid." He shrugged, glancing at the dark blue lockers that lined the pale blue walls like soldiers. Bright paper decorated the walls without lockers, all talking about upcoming events or who to vote for in different clubs. A large, white banner came into view, with bold red letters. _FORMAL_ _SCHOOL DANCE, JANUARY 20th, 6P.M-12P.M._

Robin wrinkled his nose. He hated school dances…though the last dance he had been to, he had gotten the chance to dance with Star. Maybe they weren't so bad.

Starfire suddenly stopped, glancing up at the wooden door with something akin to dread. "Well, I think this is us," she mumbled. He noticed her deep breath and skimmed his lips across her cheek in comfort. "Don't worry, Star. I'm in the class with you, so you'll have me." She gave him a weak smile.

Adjusting her books once more, Starfire knocked on the door.

* * *

I know, I know. Not that productive, but I wanted to get them settled in to school and make sure the reader (you) knows their undercover personalities. I did it for a reason. Anyways, I am so sorry it took so long to get this chapter, but it's been pandemonium in my neck of the woods. My baby cousin was put in the hospital again and bunches of other crap was shoved on me, so…but at least you have this. It's not the most enjoyable chapter, but their problems are just starting. So, enjoy, and I'll work on the next chapter, where they meet knew people and new problems.

_Agus go gcasfar le chéile sinn arís_! (And until we meet again, in Gaelic.)

Jessimudflap


	13. Chapter Twelve: January 11th

I'm just going to warn you now, the next few chapters are just introducing new characters and letting you get to know them. I know there a bunches of characters in the story, but it's for a reason. Each character plays a very important role in this, so if it confuses you, it'll all make sense later. But, believe me, I have tons of action waiting. But just give me time. This plot will throw you for a loop.

* * *

Sitting at a round table positioned near the rear of the courtyard, Starfire sat alone, her hands tucked between her knees, trying desperately to keep the warm as she scanned her French book. In all actuality, this 'French' was easy to understand. It was much like her own language. All her other classes had been a breeze as well. She understood Calculus, took in everything about Government with interest and always stated her thoughts, and was a genius at English. Her teachers were imprested immediately, though the students had for some reason mumbled 'teacher's pet' behind her back. What was a teacher's pet? Was it some type of dog? Perhaps a fish? She had no idea why they would call her an animal, but she would ask Robin about it later. 

She glanced up to find a short, pretty girl sitting down and saying, "Hiya. I'm guessing you're new around here, huh? I'd remember someone like you, seeing as you're an Amazon and all. Mind if I sit here?" The girl had already sat down with a tray heaped with food, and grinned at Star, her teeth straight and white.

Star watched with fascination as the girl wolfed down a hamburger. She had never known a human would have the same table manners as she did on her home planet. The girl swallowed, wiped her hands on her skirt, and then held it out. "Sorry about my rude entrance. I'm Mallory Judson. You're Rose Skylar, right? I have you in English. You don't talk much do you?"

Remembering the role she was supposed to act, Star shook her head. Mallory nodded. "That's okay. I do enough talking for this entire school."

Starfire took the time to study Mallory while the girl chomped down on her hamburger. Her pale brown hair fell in soft waves to her shoulders and she was constantly tucking it behind ears filled with multi-colored diamond earrings. Her eyes were a soft, dark brown that portrayed every emotion she felt. Her face was heart shaped, with full lips that always seemed to smile, and long-lashed eyes that crinkled when she smiled. From what Star could tell, she was only about five feet tall.

"So, Rose, where do you come from?" Taking a sip from her coke, Mallory tilted her head. There was something about this Rose girl that she really liked. She just seemed to have an air of innocence surrounding her. This was the type of person she wanted her son to be around.

"Uh…I come from…" Where was she from again? She wracked her brain for the answer, but Mallory laughed, holding up a hand. "Don't worry about it. When I was new I hated telling everyone where I was from. I wanted to strangle them all." She smiled, which had Star relaxing.

"I know this is rude, but since you don't seem to like talking about yourself, how 'bout we talk about me?"

Starfire chuckled. "That would be nice."

" But, first…" Mallory grabbed her notebook, handing it to Star. In the little slots on the front of the binder were pictures of an adorable little boy with a cap of curling dark hair and pale gray eyes.

"That's Christian, my son. He's only two years old and walks everywhere. I thinks he bowlegged." She laughed softly. "He's already talking, too. My parents have a fit every time he blinks. He's so cute."

"How old where you when he was born?"

Mallory pushed aside her tray, placing her elbows on the table and cupping her jaw. "I was fifteen, I think. No, sixteen, actually, when he was born. He just turned two last November, and I turn eighteen right after I graduate."

"Amazing. You had him so young."

A cloud pasted over her eyes for a brief moment, then her smile appeared, as bright as she could manage. "Yeah, I was young. Young and innocent and naive. Guess you could say I loved without being loved. But I don't think of Christian as a mistake. No, without Christian, I don't know what I'd do. He's my baby and I love him."

Starfire studied the pictures again. "Where's his father?" Star lifted her eyes when she received silence.

This time, when her eyes darkened, it was pain that clouded them. "I don't care. He didn't want Christian, so it doesn't matter."

Confused, Starfire asked cautiously, "But why would he not want him?"

"He was young and stupid, too. He said he was too young and being with me had been a mistake because all he had wanted from me was my body. This, mind you, was right after I told him I loved him and that I was pregnant. But, that was then. I don't like to reflect on the past, especially when it hurts. Anyway, enough about me. Let's talk about you or we can talk about Christian. Either…ooh, who's that hunk walking towards us?"

Starfire looked up to see Robin heading their way. He grinned at her before sitting down beside her. "Hey."

Starfire smiled at him, catching Mallory's look of approval out of the corner of her eye. Blinking, Mallory held out a hand. "I'm Mallory, nice to meet you, and I think I'll be going now 'cause I don't wanna intrude on a little lovey-dovey session."

"Wait," Starfire said, holding up a hand. "You're free to eat the 'lunch' with us, if you wish. There will be no…lovey-dovey actions in your presence." Whatever the frendflard (hell) that was.

"Eat the lunch? Hey, that sounds kinda cool." She repeated it, nodding her head. "Nice ring to it. 'Eat the lunch'. Christian'll love that."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Alright." He blinked a few times, then shook his head, turning in his seat to face Starfire. "How's your day going so far?" He hoped his Australian accent wasn't too pronounced, but, hey, would could you do?

"Fine. Everything is so easy."

"Wow, for a new kid who claims she's shy, you sure make new, and gorgeous, friends fast." Mallory smiled at him, in a friendly way. She knew good and well not to try and snatch away something that was already taken, even if it was a stunning Aussie with a drop-dead gorgeous face. And body. Anyway, Rose was the first friend Mallory had had since Wyatt and she didn't want to ruin it.

Robin blushed at the comment. "We meet at the airport on our way here. We're both part of the exchange program and we became instant friends. I've always loved the shy and sweet act." He grinned playfully at Star, wondering if she understood his meaning.

When she jabbed his ribs with her elbow, he figured she got the point. Mallory chuckled. "Well, aren't you two adorable."

"I'd like to think so," Robin said smugly.

Starfire rolled her eyes.

"Ooh!" Robin glanced up, a bit startled, when Mallory squealed and reached for her notebook. "I have to show you my son. I show everyone, and you're no exception. I showed Rose the pictures, so now you have to see them." Truth was, they were the first people to actually care.

As Robin took the notebook Starfire passed to him, he studied the pictures of the little boy with a big toothy smiled, and listened as Mallory went on and on about him. The only thing she didn't mention was the father, but he figured that it was a sore subject and didn't want her to be on the defensive.

"He's a cute kid, your Christian. Who watches him when you're at school?"

"Depends. Sometimes, he goes to daycare, or my parent's watch him. I can't count how many day's I've missed because I was deathly afraid when he coughed wrong. I've got a lot of teachers who think I should repeat my senior year. It ain't gonna happen though. I've attended tons of Saturday schools." She grinned, shoving a ketchup-drenched fry into her mouth.

Robin nodded, unconsciously laying a hand on Star's knee. She gave a small jump, but relaxed gradually, poking at the yellow glob that was called 'macaroni and cheese' with her fork. Robin and the rest of the titans sometimes made it for dinner, but this brand was vile. Even her 'pudding of sadness' tasted better. That was seriously saying something.

Scooping up a glob, she watched it plop back down with a splat. At her wrinkled nose, Mallory and Robin laughed. "Next time, I suggest you get the hamburger. Their not too bad if you smoother them with mayo and onions. And their fries are drenched with grease, so they aren't bad. But never eat anything else, unless it chicken, steak fingers, or pizza." Mallory winked. "I learned that the hard way."

Rolling his eyes, Robin glanced around the courtyard. People's eyes darted to the table and back to their friends, some grinning, some laughing, some gossiping. He made eye contact with most of them before dropping his gaze. He had a strange feeling that it wasn't them they were laughing at, but Mallory.

"Mallory?" Robin asked carefully. "Not to be rude, but why do people keep looking over here and laughing?"

"Oh," she snorted, "people don't like me." She said it like it didn't matter which had Robin and Star exchanging confused glances.

"Why would they not?"

"Oh, they think I'm a slut because Wyatt Hallowell got me pregnant. He's what you call a badboy. It doesn't effect me because I'm one of hundreds who he's slept with. Hell, the ones who call me a slut were the first one in line when he started to pick and choose. They only call me a slut because I was the only one he got pregnant and the only one who got him to loosen up and the only one who was luckiest to bare his child, though he wants nothing to do with him. I was even the first one to ride his Harley. It's all confusing to me, but I don't care. I'm not going to let something as stupid as popularity ruin my senior year." She shrugged and took the last bite of her hamburger.

"Oh." Starfire looked around at all the people, keeping the gazes of the ones who looked at her with a challenge. Most looked away, except for one. A tall boy with long dark hair and dark clothes stared back at her with bland interest. She tilted her head as they continued to stare at either, and Mallory finally stopped talking to follow her gaze.

Mallory jerked back as if hit when she caught sight of who Star was looking at and quickly turned back to the table. The boy finally broke his stare when Mallory's quick movement caught his eyes. His eyes caught and stayed on Mallory, as if waiting for her to turn around.

"May I inquire as to why you turned so suddenly? Is that the Why At Hallowell you speak of."

"Wyatt," Mallory mumbled, tucking her feet under her when the cold got to be too much. She really should have worn her stockings. "Yeah, that's him. In all his dark and foreboding glory. I swear he was born with a scowl." She smirked. "I was the only one who got him to laugh in public. Another reason I'm not liked. But, I guess, in a way, I'm glad he has nothing to do with Christian. I so don't want my son to be a brooding, egotistical," Robin and Star held up a hand to warn her, but she was one a roll, "moody, lazy—"

"Jerk?" Star watched as Mallory's spine snapped straight and her eyes widened, before narrowing. Without turning, she grabbed her notebook and laid it face down in her lap, as if to hide her son from him. Wyatt stood behind her, his muscled arms folded in front of his sinewy chest. His full mouth was curved with amusement, but his pale gray eyes were old, as if he had been a grownup throughout his entire life.

"No, jerk is too kind when talking about you, Wyatt. Maybe heartless, cruel, unfeeling, insensitive. A man who only thinks about himself and no one else."

"You're still the same, Mal."

"No, I'm not. Since my baby was born, I've never been like I used to. I never will be either."

Robin watched the man shifted behind her. He seemed to be uncomfortable. Maybe it was because every eye in the courtyard was on him, or maybe there was more to his feelings for Mallory than he let on. Whatever it was, he hide it well. His eyes held no emotion, reminding him of Raven.

"Maybe we should leave them alone," Robin whispered to Star, and she eagerly nodded. Slowly, they started to rise when Mallory snarled, "Sit!"

Their bottoms hit the bench hard as they sat down as quickly as they could. Star practically ended up in Robin' s lap, but they were not about to spark Mallory's temper again. Wyatt's lips twitched.

"What do you want, Wyatt? I don't have the time, or the patience to deal with you." She laid her palms over the notebook, as if to make sure it was still there, and her small hands fisted. She didn't want to make a scene, not here, and she already felt the hot burn of tears in the back of her throat. After his cruel words and rejection, she couldn't face him, or even hear his voice without the sharp stab of pain.

"Look, my mom wants to see the kid—"

"Christian," She bit out, her eyes narrowed and filled with unshed tears. She shoved her hands through her hair, giving her trembling hands something to do.

"My mom really wants to see Christian. She's been dying to show him around to my aunt, and—"

"I'm surprised you let your mother tell your family about our mistake."

Robin and Star exchanged looks, wishing that they could walk away and let them have their little fight. This was none of their business, and things seemed to be getting personal.

"Jeez, Mal, are you still mad about that?" Ooh, wrong thing to say.

She did turn to him with a glare that could kill. He winced, his tough front wavering. He had been with Mal long enough to know about her temper. Hell, Mal was the only one who he really loved, no, liked…and he had really missed her anger, along with everything else about her. But he couldn't risk it, not now. Not when it involved her.

"Still mad about that? You seduced me into your bed, get me pregnant, and then, when you make me love you, tell me that I was a mistake? That they child _we_ made together was a mistake. You _bastard_!" He cringed when all was silent and now, everyone was watching them, waiting for a show they knew to come. Even the teachers on duty watched with curiosity.

She rose, all five foot one of her, and stood toe to toe with him. Her head barley hit his chest. She looked so small, so fragile, but the finger she poked at his chest was actually bruising him. Man, why did he have to come over here in the first place? He just _had_ to come and talk to her, just _had_ to say something stupid. Just had to hear her voice again because it was killing him slowly, not being around her.

He waited for her to scream at him, but watched the dark cloud pass over her eyes, her shoulders slump, and her eyes fill with tears as she retreated. "All right. She can get him anytime she wants, as long as she calls before hand and I know when he's coming back. I can't be longer than two days, because he hates to be away from home, and he's had a bad case of colic, so she might not want to keep him overnight, with her job and all. And I know you won't want to be around him, so we'll schedule his visit around your job." She rubbed her arms, and stared at the ground. It would not help to scream at him. Nothing she said or did would make him care about his son, so what was the point? Hate for him, for what he did, for her stupidity, fisted around her heart, making her movements detached.

"Mallory…"

"Just…have her call me on my cell, and I'll set it up with her." Folding her arms over her white sweater, she wished the earth would crack open and swallow her whole. People were gossiping now, about her, and though she hated to admit it, the gossip was taking a toll on her self-esteem. She didn't have much left.

"Fine." He didn't walk away, but reached around her to grab her notebook. Tears forgotten, she made a mad grab for it, but he studied it above her head, where she could not reach.

He had never seen his…their…the boy. His mother had always made sure he was away when Christian was around. She locked the pictures she took of the boy in a box, shoved under her bed, so he couldn't see.

When he told her he didn't want anything to do with the kid (he was sixteen) she took it seriously and made sure he never saw him. It was a cruel payback, but she wanted her son to know how large his mistake was. She was always talking about Christian and Mallory at the table, rubbing in the fact that he had lost more than he gained. She wasn't doing it to be cruel, but to teach her son a lesson. She loved Christian, and made sure her son knew about it. She hoped that maybe one day his hard shell would break and he would help raise his son.

As he studied the pictures of his child, it felt like someone had used his stomach as a punching bag. The little boy looked so much like him it was scary. The same nose, eyes, hair, mouth. His baby pictures looked just like Christian's.

As he studied them, Mallory blushed as the gawking spectators started to whisper and stare. "Please, Wyatt. What does it matter what he looks like? You don't want anything to do with him, and right now I really want to leave. I can't believe I just did that." She lowered her head and buried them in her hands with a groan.

"He looks just like me," Wyatt whispered slowly, feeling another tug at his heart.

Robin glanced at Starfire again. "Do we stay here, or run for the hills?"

Starfire shrugged, watching the two as they had a heated, but quiet, discussion. Was that how Robin and her would end up in the long run? Bitter rivals? Mallory and Wyatt had a similar relationship as Robin and Star, because of the whole him only wanting a tumble while Mallory wanted a commitment. What if she did decided to let Robin have all of her and she ended up pregnant? Would he abandon her as well? Maybe…maybe should she avoid all possible romantic actions around him to save her heart. God and everyone else knew how much she loved him, but did she love him enough to suffer the heartbreak she knew was to come?

Robin tugged at her hand. "Come on, Star. Let's leave them alone. They need to sort out their…problem." Helping her to her feet, Robin gently pulled her behind him.

"Wait, please." It was the desperation in Mallory's voice that had Star stopping and jerking Robin to a clumsy halt. Steadying himself, Robin waited patiently for Mallory to join them, without her notebook. "Wait, don't you—" Wyatt gnawed on his lip when she shook her head.

"Just…keep it." Hurrying to catch up, Mallory slid an arm through Star's, pasting on a smile. "Hey, can I see your schedule?"

"Sure." With a comforting smile, Starfire let go if Robin's hand to dig through her notebook to unearth the neat slip of paper. As Mallory scanned it, ignoring the stares and snickers, Wyatt held her notebook loosely in his hands. He watched her walk away, and with a sigh, turned around to give evocative death scowls that had people flinching.

* * *

"Hey!" Robin and Starfire whipped around just as they were lifted off the ground and squeezed. "I didn't expect to see you this early! Wow, Star, you look completely different. And I can't get over the loss of the mask, Rob. Where're BB and Rae? Seen 'em around?" 

Gasping for breath, Starfire gave a choked laugh. "Cyborg. I'm so very pleased to see you once again. But…I cannot breathe."

With a laugh, Cyborg lowered his two teammates. "Man, it's so good to see you. I've been going crazy with that police women. Her and her kid are killer, not to mention she goes on dates everyday, so I'm stuck with the kid, and I have no idea how to change diapers."

Robin grinned. "Call Bumblebee." Starfire spotted Mallory by herself, looking so forlorn, and walked toward her, leaving Cyborg and Robin alone.

Cyborg rubbed the back of his bald head. He had once again used his ring to become Stone for the mission, so now, thankfully, he looked human, as he would if he had never become a cyborg. And, anyway, Bumblebee said he looked delectable human.

"I, ah, did." Robin chuckled with a shake of his head. Blushing, Cyborg grinned. "Yeah, well, she knew what to do, so no complaint here. Anyways, how's it been?"

"Hectic. We have no lead, no idea where to start, still have no idea, and now, we're just picking straws. I still hate the fact that were putting Raven and Star in danger, but they can take care of themselves." Robin glanced in Star's direction, watching her laugh at something Mallory said.

With a smirk, Cyborg said, "Still in love with her?"

Robin glared. "I don't love Starfire. We're just friends."

Cyborg snorted. "Told her that yet?"

"Why are you people so obsessed with Star and I?"

"Why are you so pigheaded?" Cyborg chuckled at Robin's scowl. "Your not my leader right now, so I'd don't have to watch my words around you."

"What stopped you before?" Robin muttered, crossing his arms over his chest and putting all his weight on one foot.

"Hell, I was scared of you, even though you were shrimpy as all get out. But now, you're not so bad. Stronger, maybe, but still."

"Whatever. Look, lets not talk about Star, okay? She's her own person, so she can deal with herself and her emotions."

"Okay, okay, don't bite my head off because I don't want Star to get hurt."

Robin had the strangest urge to pull his hair out. "Damn you people! Why does everyone say that I'm going to be the one to hurt Starfire. I—"

"Because, Robin, Starfire would rather die then hurt you, and you know that." Robin turned to scowl at Raven. "Mind you own, Raven."

"Touché." She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a smug look.

"Alright, since we're talking about hurting people, you should worry more about you hurting BB than me hurting Star."

"We're not talking about Beast Boy, Robin. We're talking about—"

"I changed the subject." As the two stared at each other with fire leaping in their eyes, Cyborg grinned. " Hey, Rae." Knowing she couldn't blow him to kingdom come in front of everyone, he gathered her in a bone-crushing hug.

"Cyborg," she warned with a gasp of air," let me down."

He laughed, setting her down. "You haven't changed a bit."

"Of course not." She dusted herself off to keep from hugging him. Public display of emotion was not her forte.

Someone laid a hand on the small of her back and she jumped. "Howdy, Cy. How's the normal life?" Beast Boy grinned down at Raven, who scowled in return.

"Fine. I do miss kickin' yo butt, but I'll kick it when we get back to the tower."

"Yeah, we'll see. But I've got some things up my sleeve."

Cyborg threw back his head and laughed. "I'm sure you do."

Beast Boy harrumphed, and subtly, pulled Raven to his side. But Cyborg was not born yesterday. He caught the movement and sent the two a sly look. "Well, aren't ya'll two cozy."

Raven blushed, trying to pull away, but Beast Boy's hand tightened on her waist. "Beast Boy," she hissed, "let go."

Robin shook his head as Raven tried to wrestle out of Beast Boy's grasp, glancing back over at Star. She smiled at him sweetly. His heart gave a little jump, which he tried desperately to ignore. Catching sight of Raven, she said goodbye to Mallory and made her way to her friend.

"Raven." Raven wiggled her way out of Beast Boy's arms, only to be crushed again, this time by Star.

"Starfire. So nice to…see you again," Raven gasped, earning a chuckle from her teammates.

Starfire dropped Raven so suddenly that she was thrown off balance and teetered for a bit. Starfire smiled. "Have you…any luck with the case so far?"

Raven shook her head. "No. Not at all."

"The same here," Robin added. "Though when we got on the elevator in the hospital, it collapsed on us."

Taking the confused looks from his teammates as a go-ahead, Robin grabbed Star's hand and flipped it over to show the burn marks the rope of the elevator had caused. "Someone cut the ropes. It was a clean break, but I don't know if it was meant for us, or the whole bottom floor. If Star had not have stopped that thing, the entire first floor would have been blown to smithereens, and the building would have collapsed. It could have been a fluke, but I don't believe in coincidences. And yet, unless the White Rose Killer knows who we are, no one would want to annihilate us."

"Dude, I dunno, "Cyborg said with a slow, unsure shrug. "I could have been some psycho who wanted payback, or just to see people hurt."

"I guess." Robin unconsciously rubbed the calloused marks on Star's hand with his thumb, which rested at her side. "But it doesn't seem to connect with anything. Maybe they wanted to destroy the entire hospital."

"I don't know, dude. Maybe it's not supposed to connect." Beast Boy suddenly groaned. "Dude, we still have fifteen minutes of lunch left, and I haven't eaten!"

Raven rolled her eyes. "Fine, go get something."

He bolted off to the lunch line, squeezing in before one of the coaches closed to door off, and grinned at the teacher before pilling on food.

"Anyway," Cyborg said, shifting from one foot to the other, "maybe the whole elevator thing was just a fluke. We've had tons of flukes in our life time."

"Maybe it was Sl—"

"Dude, if you say Slade, I'll slap you. First off, Slade is not involved in this, and second, you're just obsessed. Obsess over something else, like girls, exercise, videogames, cars, sex." Cyborg threw a look at Starfire, which had Robin's eyes narrowing and his cheeks flushing.

Raven gave him a deadly look. "Love the way you threw in sex, Cyborg. Very smooth."

"Who's talking about sex?" Beast Boy plopped down with a tray heaped with food, cringing when Raven shot him a death look. "All right, all right. Jeez, it was just a simple male question." Stuffing a tofu burger in his mouth, Beast Boy chewed silently, off in his own little world.

Raven rolled her eyes, crossing her legs and tucking her hands between her thighs. The temperature had dropped and snow still covered the ground from the last snowfall. And yet, they were still supposed to wear short skirts. Raven would like to see a man wear a skirt in twenty degree weather. They wouldn't survive. "I do agree with Cyborg, though it won't happen again. Slade wouldn't sink that low, Robin. This man is an entire different category. Slade would be under psychotic mastermind, whereas the White Rose Killer is just a sick excuse for a man." Raven raised an eyebrow at Beast Boy's distant look.

Robin straightened his shoulders. "Look, I know it's not Slade. Never said it was." He glared when his team, even Starfire, gave him a 'yeah, right, and pig's will sprout wings and fly' look.

"Umm-hmm. And Beast Boy has a mind beneath that thick skull of his."

"Bite me, Cyborg." Beast Boy folded his arms over his chest, scowling at his empty tray. Why were they always picking at him like that? He knew he was stupid, but did they have to bring it up every time? Maybe it was because he gave them a reason to think he was brainless, but, jeez, it rubbed his self-esteem raw.

Cyborg shrugged with a lopsided grin. The bell shrilled, signaling the end of lunch, and the titans slowly rose. Biding adieu, they separated, each heading in a separate direction. Cyborg was in heaven when he found his next class was Ag. Shop. Beast Boy sighed as he made his way to the theater room, surprised when Raven followed.

"Got this class too, huh?"

She nodded. "Yes."

They fell into a comfortable silence as they pushed open the double-doors. Taking seats in the very back, they waited for class to begin.

Beast Boy tapped a finger on his thigh, clicking his tongue against his teeth, not meaning to grate on Raven's nerves.

"Beast Boy, I know you're nervous, but if you don't quite making that noise, I'll break your teeth."

He blinked, biting the tip of his tongue and glancing around. Students loitered about, some glancing at them, others ignoring them. A man, who Beast Boy assumed to be the teacher, sat on the edge of the huge wooden staged, flipping through a script. He was dressed in all black, a bright silk red scarf tied around his neck. He was short, though lean, with a head of thick dark gray hair that was neatly cut and parted to the side. Shoving up thin glasses, the man glanced around, his dark eyes settling on Raven and Beast Boy.

Quickly sinking down in his chair, Beast Boy hoped, no, _prayed_, that the man's gaze would breeze right past them and—

"You two, in the very back!" Beast Boy groaned. So much for him not seeing them. "Come forward. I have never seen you in my class before."

With a muttered oath, Beast Boy gathered his things, sullenly, his posture bored, yet dangerous. He wasn't even trying to act the part of Logan Field. It just came naturally now.

Raven clutched her books to her chest, waiting patiently for Beast Boy to follow her. There was no way in hell she was walking up there by herself, especially when most eyes where on her.

"Hurry up! We've only got fifty minutes in here, and I don't want to waste it on you two. If you can't hurry up, I don't want you in my drama class. I need dependable students who'll listen to their superior. And believe me, honeys, I'm superior. Now, come up on the stage and introduce yourself." The man stood, the same height as Raven, and placed an impatient hand on his hip. "I don't have all day."

"Damn," Raven muttered, climbing the side steps to the stage. Beast Boy harrumphed, his shoulders slumped. "I can't wait to get out of here."

"Boy, don't mumble around me. If you have something to say, say it to my face. Juts remember, bucko, my pen and grade book always have the last say, not you."

"Whatever." Now comfortable with his new identity, Beast Boy tried to act tough as he towered ever the homosexual teacher.

"What did you say…" The man snatched Beast Boy schedule out of his hand and scanned his name. "Logan Field, huh? Well, Mr. Logan Field, I suggest you lose the attitude. I don't deal with people like you very well."

"Whatever." Beast Boy said slothfully.

The teacher snorted at the lazy tone. "And you, what's your name, missy?"

"Dru Moody."

"Dru Moody. Like the sound of that. Sounds like an actress name. Mysterious and seductive and innocent all at once." Beast Boy snorted, earning a glare from Raven and the teacher.

"Well, then. It's settled, you, " the man pointed to Raven, "I can handle. But you," he glared at Beast Boy, "will drive me to the brink of insanity." Darting to a pile of papers, the teacher grabbed two scripts and tossed them to Raven and Beast Boy. "I know it's cliché, but we're going to practice with Romeo and Juliet. Scene Two, Act Three. Now, get to it. By the way, I'm Mr. Cates."

Raven and Beast Boy exchanged looks before flipping open their books and reading lines.

* * *

"Rose!" Starfire turned around to see Mallory trying to catch up. Slowing her stride, Star patiently waited. 

Mallory caught up, bending at the waist to catch her breath. "Give me a minute."

Starfire smiled, holding up a finger at Robin who waited by their car to take them home. He nodded, leaning a hip across the sleek red mustang. Catching eye of someone, he walked in their direction.

"Okay, I can breath again." Starfire turned her attention to Mallory.

"Might there be something you wished to ask me, Mallory?"

She laughed. "Jeez, you talk like you from a different planet." Starfire visibly blanched. "But, you're just too smart for the likes of this town." Star let out a breath she had no idea she was holding, and smiled once again.

"Anyway, I know this is sudden and all, with you being new and me pushing my friendship on you, but I really need a favor from you."

"And what might that be?"

Mallory sighed. "I have to take Christian to Wyatt's mother tonight, and I don't want to drive there and back alone. I know it's stupid, but when I have Christian in the car, I don't want to take chances. So…" For the first time, Mallory looked shy. "Would it be okay if…maybe…you rode with me to take him to their house?" Before Star could answer, Mallory added, "You don't have to. I mean, I could ask someone—"

"I would be honored." Starfire grinned when Mallory let out a ,"Thank God for people like you."

"Why don't I call you?"

Starfire blinked. "I have yet to get a telephone installed."

"Oh…"

"I could give you my address instead."

"Oh, okay, good." Mallory dug through her backpack, pulling out a piece of paper and a bright pink gel pen.

As Starfire wrote her address neatly down, Mallory glanced around. What caught her attention, though, was Robin and Wyatt talking. Wyatt glanced over at her, but she quickly averted her gaze. It was still way too early to even look at him. Maybe, when she was…eighty, she could handle it.

"Here you go." Mallory took the paper from Star with a grin. "Okay, I'll come by at, oh, six, okay?"

"Alright."

With a friendly hug and goodbye, Mallory trotted over to her large red SUV, shoving everything in the front seat. Driving off, Mallory sat back in her seat, and willed the tears away.

Robin walked over to Star, hands in pockets, and smiled. "Guess you made a new friend."

"Yes, I think I did. I am supposed to ride with her to drop off her child this evening."

"What about walking the streets?"

Starfire sighed, clutching her books to her chest. "You know as well as I that our scouting the streets is of no help. We are merely wasting time."

Robin grabbed her hips, pulling her to his side. It was only to keep her warm, of course. "I know."

Taking her books from her, he slid his hand around her waist. "But you still need to go."

He almost groaned when she turned those big green eyes to him. "But I have already promised I would—"

"I know. But what's more important? Taking a drive or saving women from a fate worse than death?" She bit her lip, gazing at the ground. He was right, of course. It was wrong to go play when she could be tracking down a rapist.

Robin actually felt her shoulders slump and felt like the scum of the earth. Her arms tightened around her books, and Robin actually did groan. Gently, he pushed her back against the car. "Fine. I'll talk to Twain so you can go."

Her eyes lit up. "Are you sure?"

He let out a defeated sigh. "Yeah. I'm sure."

She pulled his head down and kissed him hard, surprising them both. Pulling back with a shy grin, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thank you, Robin."

He grinned, opening the door for her. Climbing into his seat, Robin closed the door. Before she could buckle her seatbelt, Robin leaned over, resting a hand on the inside of her thigh. Her wide startled eyes made contact with his. They were a dark gold, almost brown.

He kissed her slowly, painfully slow, and moved his hand up a fraction. Her breath caught and he grinned. "You know what this means, right Star?"

Swallowing, Starfire asked, "W-what?"

"You owe me big time." She jumped, gasping,when his fingers brushed over her intimately, but he drew back quickly, and turned on the car as if nothing had happened. "Do you want to get something to eat?"

She blinked, staring at him as if he had grown another head. With a raised eyebrow, he shrugged. "Fine with me. I'll just find something else to snack on." Robin grinned when Starfire gave a quite moan. Pulling out of the school parking lot, Robin turned on the radio. He never noticed the glint of binoculars, or the lips thatcurled with hate.

* * *

Forget what I said earlier. The next chapter will have some action, so just bare with me, people. Until next time! After Mallory, Wyatt, and Christian (who are very, very important, present and future) I'll only add…about two or three more characters who have an imporant part in here. The rest, like Mallory's parents and Wyatt's parents, will have very small roles. Again, hope I don't confuse you. If you want action, you'll get it the next chapter. Well, it's more thrilling than action, but it's better than the chapters I have been doing! Ooh, I'm so happy! I turn 15 in two days! I can't wait until the 11th! Anyway... 

Tootles!


	14. Chapter Thirteen: January 11th

_**Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning!**_

I don't know if it's even that descriptive, but I'm gonna **_warn_** you know so I don't have people flaming me later. There is a scene with… foreplay? Is that what it's called? Well, it's not a full-blown sex scene…hell, it's not even a sex scene…damn, and I'm confusing even myself. Anyways, there's some stuff in here that I want to **_warn_** you about…yeah. It' s still PG-13 or T, or whatever the hell the rating is on the summery-thingy. But I did **_warn_** you, so don't flame me for having something like that in here. I'm just experimenting…sorry if it sucks…but I don't even go into detail…at least not that much…I hope I didn't go into too much detail…how about you just take my warning to heart and skip it if your worried, and ignore me completely. Yeah, but don't skip the whole chapter, cause I got a scene of thriller in here! Yey me! Anyway, enjoy. Think I warned ya'll enough? 10 of 'em. Still not enough?

* * *

"I cannot thank you enough for talking to Twain and allowing me to journey with Mallory." Starfire ran the brush through her curls, smiling at Robin. He sat Indian-Style on her bed, plucking at a lose thread. 

"Yeah, I got my butt chewed out about it as well."

Twisting her hair into a thick bun, she turned to look at him. "I am sorry, but after the day Mallory's had, I could not say no."

He sighed, laying back and folding his arms under his head. "Yeah, I know. But this means you're canceling our dinner date, so now, you owe me not only once, but twice."

He heard her drop the brush and smiled. "I'm already thinking of your payback."

She sat beside him, then stretched out, laying on her side and using her elbow to support her head so she could glare at him good-naturedly. "What are you thinking, Robin?"

He turned his head to grin at her. "It's a secret."

"Well, how am I supposed pay you back if I do not know what I am supposed to do?"

"Oh, you know in due time." Shifting on his side, he mimicked her posture. "What time is she coming again?"

"Six-thirty. Why?"

Robin craned his neck to glanced at the clock. "Onlyfifteen minutes."

She gave him a '_what are you up to' _stare. "Robin—"

Using his free hand, he pulled down her head and slanted his mouth over hers. Though it was not the first time he had kissed her, her heart jumped into her throat. Using his body, he pushed her down onto her back, his lips still melded with hers, and expertly slid a hand beneath her sweater to feel the soft yet muscled skin below.

She melted beneath his skilled hands before her conscience got the better of her. She was heading down the same path as Mallory had once taken. Robin was clouding all of her senses, her judgment, leading her into nothing but tragedy. She shouldn't allow him to touch her as he was. He didn't care about her the way she hoped for, yearned for. All he wanted was her physically, nothing else. He didn't want love, _her_ love, just her body. That was all he would ever want. And it something she couldn't give him, not without sacrifice. Right now, she just wasn't ready for the pain and heartbreak.

"Robin, wait." To her distain, her voice was nothing more than a moan. Gathering her scattered wits, she out her hands to his chest, and willed herself to push him off her. But her hands deceived her and fisted, clutching the material of his shirt in her hands. But when he slid a hand beneath her skirt, her once gathered logic scattered and her mind went blank. What was she trying to do again? Right, she was trying to get him off…oh God.

Again, her body betrayed her and her back arched into his hand. Damn it all! Why couldn't she tell him to stop? Not that she wasn't enjoying it, but she knew he would take what he wanted and leave. But, oh God, it felt so good.

Robin abandoned her lips and trailed butterfly kisses down her jaw, then to her throat. He playfully nipped at the base of her throat while his hands worked magic on her.

"Robin," she gasped, trying desperately to tell him to stop. Again, she couldn't. There was no way she could tell him to stop. Damn it, she didn't want him to stop. He really shouldn't have this kind of control over her. She couldn't even breathe right, for crying out loud. Star closed her eyes as the pleasure built inside her, her nails digging into his shoulder.

Robin kissed the pulse pounding in her throat. He seriously needed to stop before he took things too far. He had never even planned on doing this to her, but he just wanted to show her…what did he want to show her? What she was missing out on? What _he_ was missing out on? Maybe he did it because he wanted to show her pleasure. But it didn't matter. He had _already_ taken things too far. He should have never kissed her for the first time in the stupid tub she was so happy over. He should have never kissed her in the park, or in the kitchen, where he had almost taken her there, or now. But he did and, damnit, he wasn't about to stop because of a guilty conscience. Her little gasps and moans were already driving him mad, and even if he wanted to stop, he couldn't have.

Suddenly, she clenched his fingers, crying out his name, her body trembling, before going limp beneath him. Then…she shoved him off the bed so he was sent sprawling on his back on the hardwood floor. He stared at the ceiling for a moment as the impact jarred his system and left his butt pounding. That was defiantly going to leave a bruise. With a groan, he sat up and peaked over the bed.

Starfire had both hands pressed to her forehead, as if a headache pounded at her temples. But, he mused, she was trying to gather her senses. That was good and fine with him, but did she have to push him off the bed?

She glanced at him, blushed a deep crimson, which he had never seen before on her, scrambling to her dresser and pulling out more clothes before running to the bathroom and slamming the door.

He stared at the door, his head cocked, before pulling himself up.

"Well," he mumbled to himself as he dusted his clothesoff. "That was interesting." Running a hand through his hair, Robin sauntered out of her room, his body full of male arrogance.

Leaping over the sofa and landing gracefully, he sprawled back, one arm thrown over the back of the couch, and grinned at nothing in particular.

The doorbell shrilled, and he gave a small jump before rolling his eyes at his nerves, which seemed to be on end. Standing up, he answered the door. Mallory stood there, a bundled-up toddler on her hip and a bright smile on her face. "Hi. Didn't know you lived here with Rose."

"I don't." He grinned at the look of surprise that filled her face before she laughed. "Right. My mistake."

Inviting her in, he shut the door behind her. "Star—Rose is in the bathroom, changing." Hoping Mallory didn't catch his stupid slipup, he leaned a hip against the counter and asked, "Would you like anything to drink?"

She shook her head, shifting Christian as his little hands reached for anything and everything. His pale eyes were heavy with fatigue, but he was too interested in his surrounding to succumb to something as boring as sleep.

"Alright." Suddenly, his mistake hit him. He forgot his Australian drawl. Damnit, Star had his mind jumbled and he wasn't thinking straight.

Mallory didn't seem to notice. That, or she was too busy trying to wrestle her hair out of her son's tight grip. She laughed, tugging the strand free. "Do you live close by, or did you drive here?"

"I live next door." Mallory stared at him for a minute, which had him shifting. He hoped her mother radar wasn't catching his lie. _I guess,_ he mused with an inward flinch, _I overdid the accent_.

"Really?" She dropped her eyes back down to Christian, who was now enthralled with the hood of Mallory's pullover. Mallory slid a finger into the sweater to keep from being choked. "How lucky for you, living next door to your girlfriend." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "You two are dating, right? Or are you just friends?"

"I, uh…"

"We are just friends." Starfire walked out of her room in a completely different outfit. The simple hooded pullover and jeans should have lessened the appeal, but Robin's mouth watered all the same. Her smile was real, not fake, and, he noticed with pride, her eyes glowed. He hoped it was because of him. Or what he did to her.

Starfire walked to Mallory, who looked like an ant next to Star, and smiled down at the toddler. Bashful, Christian buried his head in the crook of his mother's neck and peeked at Star with a grin. He then yawned. Mallory chuckled. "Would you like to hold him?"

Starfire blinked. "I, uh…"

"Don't worry. It just comes naturally once you hold them." Shifting again, Mallory position Christian so his back rested against his mother's chest. "Hold out your arms."

Nervous, Starfire held out her hands. Christian looked at her outstreched arms, then to her face, before leaning forward with a squeal so Star could hold him. Once the toddler was in her arms, he fell asleep, his head against her shoulder and his tiny hand clutching a lose curl that had fallen out of the simple bun at the base of her nape.

Robin cleared his throat as an unusual felling clutched his heart. The sight of Star holding a baby was not what Robin needed right now. If he allowed it, he would be picturing Star with _his_ kid. His stomach clenched, though not in a bad way, and he groaned inwardly. Bad emotions. Very, very bad emotions. He didn't want to think about kid's of his own until he was at least thirty-five. All he wanted right now was to play around, not picture Starfire carrying his child. Damn.

"Awh, he likes you. He usually doesn't warm up to people really well. I'm surprised, actually. It takes days for him to let someone hold him. I guess you just have a motherly trait in you." Robin groaned. Mallory was the only on to hear it, and grinned. "Come on, I don't want to be too late. Wyatt should have already left for work, so now's the perfect time to go."

"Alright." Still holding the slumbering child, Starfire blushed as she said goodbye to Robin and followed Mallory to the elevator.

Pressing to bottom floor once they were inside the cart, Mallory sent Star a sly look. "So, how long was he there?"

"Who?"

Mallory rolled her eyes and grinned. "Grayson. How long was he there?"

Starfire flushed. "Since we got home for school. Why do you ask?"

Mallory shook her head and skillfully flipped the dark blue hood over her sons head without disturbing him. "I'm just wondering if you are as innocent as you truly look."

Taking in Starfire's blush, Mallory chuckled. "I'm only kidding. I just wished I could have maintained my innocence as you do."

Unsure of what to say, Starfire unconsciously rubbed a hand down to boy's back. "It's pretty cold out there, so here," Mallory dug though her diaper bag in search of a blanket.

"I swear, I hate winter. Christian always has the tendency to catch a cold, and when he catches a cold, he stays sick for weeks. So, I bundle him up so he looks like a big fluffball."

Starfire smiled and slid the soft red blanket around the child. "You do mothering well."

Mallory stilled as she lifted the plain black diaper bag. Suddenly, she smiled. "I should hope so."

The elevator doors opened to the parking garage, and Starfire followed Mallory to her car. The sound of their shoes was deafening against the concrete, and Starfire shuddered. Something didn't fell right.

"Jeez, I wished I would have parked closer. It's freezing and creepy and way too dark." Mal was right. Only one flood light lit the way, casting the garage in eerie shadows. The light started to flicker and the girls quickly picked up the pace.

All of a sudden, Mallory gasped, pressing a hand to her heart. "Jesus Christ have mercy on my soul." Starfire's heart jumped into her throat as she glanced around to find the source of Mallory's outburst.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"I thought I saw something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. A shadow of a man or something."

Trying to push down the unease, Starfire held Christian closer. His tiny Nikes hit her stomach as she walked. "Maybe we are not the only ones down here."

"My point exactly. Lets hurry because I get seriously freaked out when I'm in dark places where shadows are chasing me." The practically ran to Mallory's car and when they had Christian safely buckled in, the climbed in and locked all the doors.

Letting out a breath, Mallory reached for her seatbelt. "Okay, that was completely creepy. Was it just me, or did it feel like we were being watched?"

Starfire gazed out the window into the darkness. "I feel the same."

Mallory shivered noticeably. "God, that was creepy. Next time, how about I just wait outside?"

Starfire laugh despite the apprehension clogging her throat. "Alright. That is fine with me."

Unexpectedly, the one flood light flickered out and they squealed in fright. Christian moaned loudly, but kept his eyes closed, clutching his stuffed Batman close to him.

"Okay, that's it." With a flick of her wrist, Mallory turned on the ignition and flipped on the bright headlights. "How about we start talking, because if there is one thing I can't stand, it's silence."

"Alright." They started to talk, fear evident in there tone as they pulled from the parking lot. Once on the road, they relaxed, never noticing the red beat-up pickup truck that followed.

* * *

Short, I know, and all about Robin and Starfire,and the next one will be about Star, too. Then I'll do double servings of Raven and Beast Boy. Sorry if I offended you in the chapter. I was just experimenting. Anyways, the next chapter is where the action starts. Until next time! 


	15. Chapter Fourteen: January 11th

After the parking lot incident, the girls' were constantly looking over their shoulder as they drove down the deserted road leading to Wyatt's tiny cottage. The narrow road was flanked by trees that seemed to stare and whisper. It was your typical haunted woods.

Mallory moaned. "Jeez, why does Wyatt have to live so far out in the country? He's the only person who lives this far out here. And I really hate crossing that rickety old bridge coming up. But at least we're not alone." Starfire glanced behind them, taking note of the vehicle that was quite a way behind them.

With a sigh, Mallory flipped on the radio. Tim McGraw drawled out softly. Christian murmured in his sleep, using his stuffed batman as a pillow. Mallory glanced back at her son with a warm smile.

"Sometimes it's hard to believe I had him."

Tucking a stray hair behind her ear, Starfire asked, "Why?"

Shifting in her seat, Mallory reached above her head to take out a CD. "Well, for me, Wyatt was untouchable. He was sp popular and I was so borkwormish. I was your typical geek. You know, the kind who buried their heads in books and had never even touched the opposite sex before. Hell, back then, I had never even held hands with a guy before. I was so shy it was sick." Shoving Journey into her CD player, Mallory flipped it to 'Open Arms'.

"Anyway, it was a freak accident that I got paired up with him on a research paper for English. We had both been absent that day when the pairs where picked and got stuck together. At first, he made it clear that he had no desire to be paired with me, and I was fine with that. I didn't want to be with him anyway. He never did his work and I knew I would have to do everything. But I remember I was outside, trying desperately to bathe my puppy, Luke, who is huge by the way, and he kept jumping out and shaking water all over me. Wyatt had all of the sudden decided the pick me up to do our work and caught me in very short shorts and a wet white T-shirt. Boy was I embarrassed.

"But, he just looked at me for awhile, like finally seeing who I was, and laughed. He chased my dog down and offered to help. Let me tell you, he looks so sexy wearing a wet shirt."

Christian yawned loudly, cuddling closer to his toy. "I guess that was when I fell in love with him. When he helped me wash my dog, he laughed and joked, and actually talked to me. He wasn't the stiff unfeeling bad boy I though him to be. But he told me to go change so we could go work on the project. When I walked back out, he was naked from the waist down. My mouth watered. There is nothing better than being pressed against a man's back while riding his Harley. Getting way off topic here. We went to his house, with his mother there, of course, and got all our information together. As I figured, he didn't do anything, just played stupid card tricks. I got fed up and was about to leave when he grabbed me. Being as I was, I just stood there like an idiot.

"He told me not to leave and before I knew it, he was kissing me. I would have expected it to be rough, but he was so tender, so sweet. Anyway, after that, I went to his house everyday. We worked on the project together, but he never touched me. He would do small things, like tuck my hair behind my ear, or accidentally brush his fingers over me, but he never kissed me. But when I came by the next time…he was so mad. His house was trashed and his knuckles had been busted. Not knowing what to do, I just stood there before dragging him to the kitchen and searching for a first aid kid kit. He had just stared at me when I bandaged his hand. Before I knew it, he was kissing me, desperately, telling me how much he needed me, how I was the only girl he had ever loved, so I let him do whatever he wanted. He was so gentle. Some of the things he did…" She blushed.

"Were not going to go there." She gnawed on her lip as she turned onto a narrow dirt road. "Uh, anyway, things were perfect. He had been dating me, kissing me in front of his friends, holding my hand at school. But then I found out I was pregnant. He had already told me he loved me, so I thought he would be thrilled when he found out. But when I told him, his eyes…God, he was so scared. Then he just blew, telling me how I was nothing but a toy to him. He only wanted me until he got his fill because I was so innocent, so easy. He didn't want a kid that I would have had. And he just left me there, in his house, with his mother watching. She was so kind, holding me while I cried and cried and cried. She told me that she would help me, that I didn't have to be alone. I loved that woman so much."

Starfire's heart went out to the poor girl. To have to go through something like that was horrible, especially when she had been told she was only a toy.

"Those nine months were hell. People would look at me as if I was a whore because I was pregnant. They would talk about me behind my back, and some where even brave enough to tell it to my face." Suddenly, she chuckled. "Melissa Fredrickson was my first victim. She had told me, in front of Wyatt, that I was not worth anything, that my child would be nothing. Boy, I swear I broke her nose. No one would hit a pregnant woman, so the more I hit, the less people messed with me. I got so tired of being called a whore and slut that I just became pissed at the world. I was nothing. I didn't matter, never would. If I killed myself, people would rejoice. I tried once. Well, almost tried. Alright, so I only though about it. The closest I got to killing myself was staring at an Aspirin bottle.

"And then Christian was born. The minute I held him, I was never sad again. Yeah, I would still cry at night, but he was everything to me. It didn't matter what other people thought about me because all that mattered was being a good mother. It's amazing what a child can do to you. When I returned, I let them talk about me. Hell, more times than not, I would talk back. I never became outgoing, because I never had friends, but I was not afraid to speak my mind. All I had to do was think of my baby, and I could do anything, say anything I wanted. I'm not feeling sorry for myself, but you were, no, are, my first friend."

She smiled. "But, I'm going to stop there because I feel like I'm going to cry, and I don't want puffy eyes when I drop Christian off…" She glanced behind her and her eyebrows drew together. "Is it me, or is that guy really picking up speed?"

Starfire turned in her seat to glance behind them. Headlights were barreling down on them. They could here the truck pick up speed, coming on the faster and faster.

"I can't let him pass." Mallory swallowed the rising fear. "The road is too narrow. If I pull over, we'll hit a tree. Maybe he's just…trying to show off."

"Maybe." But Starfire doubted it. "Let us just stay calm."

"I'm trying. But I have a two year old in the back seat and I swear I will kill this person if I wreck."

"Do you know if there is a clearing in which we can pull over?"

"No. After this road we hit a bridge, and then we'll be at Wyatt's. I bet this is one of his friends trying to look cool." Shifting, Mallory glanced in the rearview mirror. " Jesus, he is getting too close."

"Mallory, if I were you, I would speed up." The vehicle was on top of them and was still gaining speed.

With her heart in her throat, Mallory speed up. "Oh, thank God. The bridge is coming up and then we'll be at—" The truck rammed into the back of them, jerking them forward. Mallory's chest hit the steering wheel, and as she tried to control her vehicle, her breathing was labored. "Damnit!"

Swiping blood from her forehead where it had connected with the dashboard, Starfire tried to calm the crying child.

Mallory hit the gas as hard as she could, and Starfire jerked forward, unprepared for the sudden movement. They were approaching the tiny bridge. The lake beneath it was frozen, only about seven feet deep.

Constantly glancing behind her, Mallory prayed that they could get off the bridge safely. Heart pounding as the bridge came closer, Mallory swallowed her tears. "Almost there."

As they were approaching the bridge, the truck swerved beside them, ramming into the driver's side of the SUV, and sending the vehicle into the icy waters below. As the vehicle sunk beneath the water and darkness edged Starfire's vision, Christian stopped screaming and all was quiet.

* * *

Okay, I had chapter fourteen saved on a disk and it was long, and really cool. But, when I tried to open it, it said the disk was not formatted right, so I had to rewrite this entire thing. I know this one is short and all, so now, I have to do another chapter with Starfire. I know you were looking forward to Raven and Beast Boy, and I'm sorry that the next one will not have just them, but the next on will. I am so sorry. Stupid dell computer. 


	16. Chapter Fifteen: January 11th

* * *

When he heard the crash, Wyatt dropped the wrench he had been using on his toe. With a muttered cruse and a few hops of pain, Wyatt jerked the wrench back up and glared at it. He had returned from work not ten minutes ago, his shift ending when he had chunked a large order of fries at his boss. Well, damn it, he had made Wyatt mad. No one called him a worthless piece of junk and got away with it. So what if he was fired from McDonald's? He could do better than that.

But, with his mother being a single parent and working two shifts at the hospital just to support him and help Mallory with Christian, he needed to help her. He had never done anything right and getting a job was the only way he thought he could pay her back for being a lousy son…and a lousy parent. Shaking his head at the thought, Wyatt glanced in the direction the crash had come from.

What the hell had that sound been? Wyatt jumped when he heard the squeal of tires. He watched a dented red truck dart from the woods and make a U-turn, heading back toward the bridge.

Mary, Wyatt's single mother, burst from the kitchen, her voice a high, nervous pitch as she spoke to him in her foreign language, Italian.

"Wyatt, Mallory was supposed to be here and she's the only one who uses this road. What if that was her who crashed? I can't think about that sweet little girl being hurt! What if Christian was with her?" Her large gray eyes filled with unshed tears as she continued to babble.

Wyatt never thought of that. Mallory was the only who used to road. Wyatt really had no friends, and he never told the women he slept with where he lived and the rest of his family lived in New Hampshire. Speaking in Italian, Wyatt answered, "It's okay, Mama. Mallory is a good driver. But would you like me to go check?"

"Please, baby. If that was them and they are hurt…" Mary could not finish. She watched her son as he hoped on his motorcycle and speed off, her throat clogged with fear.

* * *

Before the car hit water, Mallory and Starfire were struggling with their seatbelts. Mallory let out a loud string of curses as the ice cold water hit her leg, which was broken and torn from the metal. When the truck had hit the passenger side, the door had embedded itself into her skin. The pain was unbearable, but the thought of her son kept her going.

"Please, get Christian, "Mallory said as Starfire tried to help. She was already unfastened, using her brute strength to snap the belt. Mallory had witnessed it, but was too wrapped up in trying to keep from blacking out.

The water was up to their necks now, and Mallory had yet to undo her seatbelt. Starfire held her son, cradling him in her arms, his blood coating her sweater.

Mallory froze. "Oh my God." Her breath caught at the sight of her son's bloody face.

"I'll be back for you, Mallory." Already on the verge of blacking out, Mallory clutched her thigh, giving up on trying to get out. It was no use. She was dizzy with blood loss and pain, her movements sluggish. The entire vehicle was emerged in the water. Mallory knew the large breath she had taken would not last long and that she was fading fast. As her vision blurred and darkness colored her vision and mind, she had to strangest dream that her friend Rose peeled back the door like a banana skin. She really was going off the deep end.

* * *

Wyatt skidded to a halt, almost falling down face first when he tried to get off his Harley without stopping first.

Squinting against the darkness, Wyatt walked to the edge of the bridge. Bubbles popped to the surface of the water, and Wyatt took a step closer…yelping when a red head popped from the surface. Stumbling back on his butt, Wyatt tried to control his heartbeat.

"Jesus Christ—" The swear died when he saw the woman holding his son. For a moment he couldn't breath, couldn't think, couldn't feel.

"Please," the young, pretty woman said, gasping for breath. "Take him. There's still someone down there."

In a daze, Wyatt grabbed hold of the child, flinching at the boy's bloody face. The woman took a deep breath before sinking under, and Wyatt cuddled the kid closer. Plopping down in the snow, Wyatt cradled the little boy like an infant, searching for the cause of blood. He found it almost instantly.

A piece of glass had embedded itself deeply in to the boy's right eyebrow. Cringing, Wyatt tore of a piece of his white shirt and pressed it to the boy's eyebrow. Christian awoke suddenly, screaming in pain and sobbing, crying out for his mother. Wyatt now realized the person still beneath the cold water was Mallory. His heart froze in his chest.

Wailing now, Christian clutched Wyatt's shirt, burying his head in the man's shoulder. Wyatt instinctively laid his cheek on top of the boy's head, waiting for the girl to resurface again.

Beneath the water, Starfire was desperately trying to get the girl free, but her leg was entangled with the car. Finally, after doing her best not to damage the leg anymore than it had already been, Starfire worked the girl free and popped up to the surface.

With his free hand, Wyatt pulled the girls to the surface, both sputtering water. The pain had drug Mallory from the dark, which was almost a good thing. At least now she could see to her son and make sure he was okay.

Starfire lay on her back, her breathing labored, staring at the dark sky. A thought settled in her mind. Someone had just tried to kill them. They had actually tried to run them from the road. But why? Why would anyone want them dead? Was it Mallory they wanted? Starfire? Or just some sick psycho who found pleasure in running people off roads?

"Mallory," Starfire asked, laying her forearm across her forehead. Her temple was pounding from the hit it took and her side throbbed. Star ran a hand over her torso, cringing when she felt the hot liquid of blood. Leaning up, she lifted her shirt and groaned. With the tips of her two fingers, Starfire pulled out a large piece of glass from between her ribs, the only sign of pain a mere grunt.

"Yeah?" Mallory's voice was weak, heavy with pain. Wyatt gathered her in his arms, smoothing away wet strand of hair from her pale forehead. She was way too pale for his liking, and a large pool of blood started beneath her leg. Christian whimpered, crawling to his mother and resting his small head on her stomach. With all the strength she could muster, Mallory stroked her son's hair. The pain was not so bad anymore. Now, all she could fell was a chilling cold and numbness.

"I have a feeling that someone tried to kill us." Wyatt's eyes snapped to Star's. He said nothing, but his eyes were hot with fear and confusion. Starfire scooted closer to be near her wounded friend.

Mallory's eyes drifted close and she turned her head, inhaling Wyatt's sent. It was just as she remembered. He was still wearing the Old Spice she had hooked him on.

"Mommy?" Christian asked, rubbing his fist against his good eye.

"Hmm?" She was drifting away slowly, her body floating on air, yet the horrible throbbing kept her between the light and darkness.

"I scared." Her son nestled against her, his hands clutching her shirt. Something was wrong with his mommy. Seriously wrong.

She couldn't form words anymore, but she still stroked his hair. When even that was a struggle, Wyatt pulled her closer to him, so now, her head rested against his shoulder and Christian was in her arms. Christian played with her necklace, trying desperately to keep from sobbing. His mommy said he was a big man, so he would act like one no matter what.

Her blood soaked through Wyatt's jeans as time passed slowly. He had already fished out his cell phone and called the police, and now, all he could do was wait. Mallory's friend, Rose, was sitting beside Wyatt, and holding Mallory's pale hand in hers. It was almost too much for him to bear.

"Mallory," Wyatt whispered against her ear, brushing his fingertips across her blue-tinted lips. Her answer was a soft, almost silent moan. She shook in his arms, from cold and blood loss. "I love you." Suddenly, Mallory went limp in his arms.

* * *

He couldn't stand it. The ambulance had arrived just as Mallory had passed out, and now, he couldn't get near her. They had carted her off and practically shoved him away when he tried to stay with her. So, instead, he was with Christian. The little boy was so mature for his age. He gave Wyatt a weary glace the entire time as the paramedics fished to glass from his forehead. He had already screamed and kicked, but the people had given him a shot that numbed it.

"Hey there, kiddo." Wyatt climbed into the ambulance, shooting a death glare at the woman who tired to usher him away. "He's my son." The woman left him alone, giving him a small, reassuring smile. Hell, he needed reassuring at the moment. After saying that Christian was his son, a warmth had spread through him . Not cool.

"Mommy says dat she be my only parent." His words were than of a five year old, childish, yet completely understandable. Amazing for a boy his age.

"She's never told you about me--your dad?"

Christian watched the man, studying him. He was really tall and muscled. Christian bet he could throw him in the air really high and catch him. Mommy did it sometimes, but she couldn't throw him high enough. "She always cries."

Wyatt's eyebrows drew together. "When you ask about your father?"

"Uh-huh. She says dat she don't want me to get hurted." Wyatt nodded slowly. _She's smart. If I were part of your life, I would end up hurting you, kid. _

"Where's mommy?" Wyatt explained that she was in a different ambulance. Wyatt fell into an uncomfortable silence. Well, what did he expect? This was the first time in his entire life that he had been around the kid. He hadn't even been there when he was born.

A whole new guilt spread through him. It seemed like he was doing more harm than good. By thinking that they would be better off without him, he had pushed them away. Wyatt had hurt Mallory horribly , but he figured that was for the best. But Christian… He had never attended his son' s birthday party, or went to the hospital when he was sick. He had not been there when he said his first word or crawled for the first time. He hadn't watched him struggle to walk, hadn't been there when he had colic and had to be rocked and cuddled to get back to sleep. But that had been Wyatt's choice.

No matter how much it hurt, he couldn't be with them. He never could. Christian sneezed, jerking him from his harsh reality. The paramedics explained to Wyatt that the little boy needed stitches. Wyatt nodded, fingering the cross around his neck.

"Excuse me, but, uh, do you know anything about the girls?"

The paramedic turned to him with her head cocked. "Sorry, kid. I don't know anything. I only dealt with your kid, not the others. All I know is one was in really bad shape, but the other one is walking around fine. The redhead is with the other patient."

Wyatt lifted his chin in understanding. Christian was still watching him silently. With a large sigh Wyatt rubbed his temple, closing his eyes against an oncoming headache. "What do you want, kid?"

The little boy blinked, trying to narrow his eyes like his mommy did when she knew he was lying. It was supposed to be a scary look. "Are _you_ my daddy?"

Wyatt's eye snapped open before he groaned. He could say yes or no. What should he do? If he said no, the kid would take that as a final answer and could go on with his life. But in the future, he would ask Mallory and she would be forced to tell him. But if he said yes, he would cause problems. Hell, either way he was screwed. The kid had gone through enough tonight, so he opted for the truth. "Yeah, kiddo. I am."

The little boy tried to glare, but his face scrunched up like a prune, and Wyatt chuckled. "So you da man dat hurt mommy." Wyatt's amusement fled. "Yeah, I guess."

Sleepy from the medicine the mean doctors had given him, Christian rubbed a fist across his good eye. "Why didn't you want us?"

Wyatt felt as though someone had rammed an elbow into his midsection. "Uh…"

Christian yawned, laying back against the pillows the paramedics had laid out behind him. Instantly, the little boy fell asleep. As the ambulance roared away from the scene of the wreck, Wyatt leaned back and stared at the blur of trees.

* * *

Popping quarters into the snack machine in the emergency wing, Ethan whistled as he tried to decide what he wanted. Chips or chocolate? Such a big decision. He shrugged, deciding on both. He would just work it off when he went back to school. Shoving his snacks into his pullover, Ethan sauntered out of the waiting room… and jumped back as a stretcher wheeled past him, almost running over his toe. Doctors spouted off medical terms that Ethan understood none of, carting the patient to the surgical unit. Ethan got a good glace at the body lying on the stretcher, a huge stain of red coloring the white sheet.

"Jesus." Shaking his head, Ethan poked a head out to make sure nothing else speeded by him. Finding the coast clear, he slowly stepped out.

Someone stepped on his toe and he bit back a curse. "Shit on a stick." Hopping on one foot, Ethan glared at the person who had hurt his foot. He found himself staring at Starfire.

"Whoa, it looks like you got into a fight and lost."

Starfire studied him with fatigue. She was tired, cold, and in pain. She had no desire to converse with Ethan. Her side was throbbing painfully and she was dying to take a simmering bath when she returned home. "Man, Starfire, what happened?"

She gave him a weak glare at the use of her real name. "Mallory and I were almost killed, along with her son. Someone tried to run us off of the road."

"Are you serious? Your not hurt, are you?"

Starfire shook her head. "I am fine, just tired. I do worry about Mallory, though."

"What the hell happened?" Robin burst into the room, his eyes narrowed and his heart pounding. He had just received a visit from Twain stating that Starfire had been in a serious wreck. Twain had said that one of the police officers on the scene had called him, saying that the undercover agent had been in a wreck.

Twain followed behind Robin calmly. He waited patiently as Robin demanded to know what happened. His heart was still pounding in fear as he grabbed Starfire by the shoulders and pulled her to him. He hugged her hard, burying his face in her neck, the front of his shirt soaked through from her wet body. "You scared the hell out of me, Starfire. I had thought…" He trailed off as hot liquid dripped onto his hands from where his hand rested on her waist.

Pulling back, he studied the blood that covered his hand. His eyes snapped up to hers. "Starfire—"

"It is a mere cut, Robin. There is nothing—" She flushed a deep scarlet when he lifted her shirt to inspect the wound. "Robin!"

"Starfire, you need stitches." She shoved his hands away and jerked her shirt down, her face still bright with embarrassment. "I will get them later."

Robin grabbed a nurse walking by and told him what needed to be done. The young man ushered Starfire to a room after he inspected the wound, Twain and Robin following. Ethan just stood there, blinking, then shrugged, heading for the elevator while he munched on a Snicker bar.

When back into Hannah's room, Ethan plopped down on his bed, tucking his feet under him. What a weird day.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Hannah sat up in her bed, her blue eyes narrowed as she stared at Ethan.

With a yelp, Ethan fell off the bed.

* * *

Alrighty then. Finally, I finished this one. I had to rewrite it, because the first one made Star seem too weak for my taste. Anyway, I'll do some Beast Boy and Rave in the next one, along with others. Anyways, until next time!

Jessemudflap


	17. Chapter Sixteen: January 11th

While the old doctor stitched up her side, Starfire stared at the ceiling, her brow furrowed. Robin sat sulkily in a chair next to Twain, who cocked a hip against the arm, notebook in hand.

"So, can you tell me exactly what happened?"

Starfire bit her lip when the doctor pulled on the string, lacing her flesh back together. "We were heading to Wyatt's—"

"Who's Wyatt?" Starfire lowered her head to glare at Twain for interrupting her. "Mallory's past relationship, Christian's father, and not important."

"Hmm." Twain scribbled something down after asking his last name. "Continue."

Snipping the end of the thread, the doctor started to bandage her up. "We were on the way to Wyatt's and were just talking. Mallory made a comment about hating being alone on the road, but said that we where not unaccompanied. There was a car behind us. We ignored it and continued to converse. She had glanced behind her and said that the vehicle behind us was gaining speed. I turned, and it was true. One minute he was yards behind us, then on our 'tail' as Beast Boy says. Mallory wanted to pull over, but the road was too narrow. Then the bridge came into view. Before we could do anything, the truck hit the back of her car, trying to run us off. Mallory controlled it, but then the truck…I think it was dark, maybe red or maroon, and it swerved to where it was beside us." Her eyebrows drew together. "And then he hit the side of the vehicle and we were thrown into the river. I got Christian and Mallory out, and you can fill in the rest from there."

Starfire glanced at them to find them staring at her. Even the doctor had stopped working to gawk at her. "I am only telling it as it happened."

Snapping out of his shock, Twain rubbed his temple. "So someone tried to run you off the road?"

"Yes."

"Do you think they were after Mallory or you or just some freak who likes to try and kill people?"

The doctor patted her thigh, cutting off her reply. "Alright, little lady. Now, I want you to go home and go to sleep. You have a minor concussion, nothing serious, but we don't want to risk it. I think it would be best if you stayed home for a few days…" The doctor scribbled down a prescription and a note excusing her from school. "Now, I think it would be best if your little friend," he motioned toward Robin," stayed with you those days incase your concussion acts up."

Starfire stood up, pulling her sweater over her white, bloodied undershirt. "Now, I know you'll want to take a shower, but I don't want you to get that bandage wet, so you'll have to deal with a sponge bath for the next day or so."

Starfire caught Robin's look of mischief and glared at him. "Alright."

"Now," shoving the paper at Starfire, the doctor stood. He barley hit Starfire's chest. "Go get this filled, get something to eat, take a nice, hot sponge bath, and get as much rest as possible. Now, shoo."

Twain mentioned that he had to get home, and promised that he would get the rest of the information from her in the morning.

Once outside, Robin grabbed Star's arm gently. "Starfire, are you sure someone tried to kill you?"

She cocked her head, her eyes narrowing. "I do not think we were pushed off the road by some imaginary being."

Robin glared. "Look Star—"

Starfire sighed, pulling him close so she could lay her head on his shoulder. She felt him relax and wrapped his arm around her waist. His fingers toyed with the ripped shreds of her sweater as they walked to his car.

"So," he said after a comfortable pause, helping her into the vehicle with a roguish grin. "Need help with that sponge bath?"

* * *

Beast Boy watched Raven cook with a grin. He had never really stopped to watch her when she cooked in the tower, but now, as she turned to read something out of the cookbook, he realized how amusing it really was. Raven had never really had much patience, and the same rule applied at cooking. She was constantly cursing vegetables and shoving wisps of hair from her forehead.

"Damnit it all to hell and back." Raven slammed down a large knife, shoving her bleeding finger into her mouth. It was nothing but a scratch, but it was the forth one in less than ten minutes. "Next time you suggest I make a meal, I swear I will dismember you."

Beast Boy chuckled, straddling a chair in the dining room next to the kitchen. "You didn't have to comply, ya know."

"Comply?" She raised an eyebrow as she rinsed her finger under cold water. "What is that, your word of the day? It's not like you to use intelligent words, Beast Boy."

Taking no offence, Beast Boy laced his fingers together and bent them downwards, popping them. "I heard you use it once and looked it up. Sounds kinda cool comin' from me, huh?" He watched her wrap a Band-Aid around her index finger.

She returned to chopping, this time being as careful as she could. "Sure. It's outstanding."

"I know." Folding his arms across the chair, he leaned his chin on them. "Hey, Rae?"

"Hmm?" She scraped the vegetables off into a large pan, wiping her hands on the adorable dark blue apron she wore over her large T-shirt and pajama bottoms.

"Do you ever plan on…getting involved with anyone?" _Like me, perhaps?_

Surprised, she turned to face him, tucking a stray piece of dark hair behind her ear. "Excuse me?"

"Don't make me ask again, Rae," he said softly. It was embarrassing enough that he asked and repeating it would be torture.

She swallowed, rubbing her palms against her sides. "Why?"

He shook his head, staring at a spot above her head. "It just seems like…" He sighed. "Never mind. I should have never brought it up in the first place."

She watched him, searching his eyes for an answer. Finding nothing but embarrassment, she returned to her cooking.

After a long stretch of uncomfortable silence, Beast Boy cleared his throat and asked, "So, what are you cooking?"

"Spaghetti. No meat, though, so your free to eat it if you want."

Suddenly, the phone shrilled, causing Raven to jump. It was just this afternoon that Raven had gone by to get her phone cut on, and Twain had given the number to only Robin and Starfire.

Reaching for the cordless on the wall next to the refrigerator, Raven answered a typical, "What?"

Beast Boy smiled at her tone of impatience. She tucked the phone between her shoulder and cheek to stir the cooking noodles. "What?" Grabbing the phone, she pressed it closer to her ear. "Are you serious? Was she hurt? What happened? Where are you? Are you at the hospital?"

Raven paused to listen to whoever was on the other side. "Are you sure? I don't need to come over there or anything?"

Confused, Beast Boy waited patiently for her to get off the phone.

"Well…as long as you're sure she's okay…alright, bye." Hanging up, Raven propped a hip against the counter. "That was Robin."

Beast Boy waited for her to continue. She didn't. "And…?" He probed, using his hands to emphasize his point.

"Oh." She rubbed her temple. "Star was in a wreck earlier."

Beast Boy blinked. "I take it she's okay, seeing as you're not rushing over there or panicking or anything."

"Yeah." Grabbing a wooden spoon, she started to stir. "Robin said she has a mild concussion and needed a few stitches, but other than that, she's fine. The girl she was riding with was seriously hurt, but is not in any real danger of dying. He wouldn't tell me what happened because he had to argue with her or something, but they won't be at school tomorrow."

Beast Boy nodded, standing up from the chair. "As long as she's alright…" Slowly, he walked to her, like a cat hunting his prey, and she gave him a what-are-you-up-to glare.

Behind her now, Beast Boy grabbed her hips, molding her against him. With a tug, he pulled down her shirtsleeve, baring her shoulder and nipping her skin lightly.

"It's been awhile since I kissed you, Raven," he murmured, trailing his lips up her jaw, gently taking her earlobe between his teeth. She groaned, leaning against him, before she managed, "The food."

"Forget it, Rae." She turned to stove off before he twisted her to face him, lifting her off her feet and sitting her on the counter, his mouth demanding, yet soft against hers. Lifting the apron above her head and tossing it carelessly to the floor, he slid his hands beneath her large shirt, groaning when his hand came in contact with hot, silken skin.

"You've changed since we left the tower," she moaned, her breath catching as he skillfully unhooked her bra.

"I should hope so. I was so damn timid around you, always acting like an idiot to hide my attraction. Anyway, you would have killed me if I did this at the tower." She gasped softly as he explored the exposed flesh hidden beneath the bra he had just thrown carelessly to the floor.

"Beast Boy, I think…" Trying to rein in her raging hormones and smother the heat pooling in her stomach, Raven groaned. "Don't you think were going a little too fast?"

Nipping her neck one last time, Beast Boy rested his forehead against the crook of her shoulder, taking in the scent of her; soap and pure woman. "Yeah…I guess we are." To him, they were going way too slow, but he knew that this would be her first physical relationship with anyone, and he wanted her to enjoy it. If she wasn't ready, then he would just wait. What joy that would be.

Gently, he pulled her to her feet, his hands sliding from her chest, to her waist, and finally to her back, gently massaging her spine. Raven knew it was not like her, that she would end up pulling back down her façade of malice, but she curled her fingers in his shirt, resting her head against his chest, his heartbeat calming against her ear. It was comforting to know it was beating wildly because of her…or at least she hoped it was because of her. Damn her low self-esteem. Couldn't she, for just one minute, relish in the fact that his heart beat for her and not something else? Obviously not.

Giving her a small squeeze, Beast Boy stepped back, calmly picking her discarded bra from the floor and handing it to her like it was nothing more than a slip of paper.

"You might wanna slip that back on before I jump ya again." He grinned, propping a hip against the counter while she turned her back to him, slipping her arms inside her T-shirt to secure the bra.

He chuckled softly. "Come on, Rae."

She turned her head briefly to glare at him as she clasped the garment back together. With a flick of her wrist, she set the fire going and continued to cook, resting all her weight on one foot. When heat rose from the pot, she grabbed garlic bread and popped it in the oven, trying desperately to control her heartbeat. It should have stopped beating so hard, right?

"Come on, Raven," Beast Boy moaned, rubbing his flat stomach. "I'm starving. If I can't snack on you, then the least you can do is hurry with the cooking."

He laughed as her face heated to a bright red.

* * *

Ethan stared at Hannah, quiet rudely, actually, from the floor. He had stayed there for thirty minutes after the fall, just staring. Hannah had gotten so bored that she closed her eyes and started to drift back off into sleep.

Ethan wouldn't have it though. "Whoa, hold on a minute."

Groggily, she watched him scramble up from the floor and bound over to the chair beside her bed, almost tipping the thing over in his rush to get beside her. Eyes slightly unfocused, Hannah glared. "Not to be rude but what are you doing here? Did someone pay you, or is this just for the media and your reputation as a person?"

He blinked, taken aback. If Hannah didn't know this…person better, she would have said he was innocent. But Ethan Matthews cared more about himself than her. He had not talk to her once, or even defended her when she was being beaten. Frankly, she would rather be alone in this hospital than have him here so he could look good, no matter how good it had felt to open her eyes and see him there.

Running a hand through his already unruly hair, he leaned back in the chair. "Why would you think I was here for my reputation?"

"Don't be so stupid," she mumbled, not having the strength to really talk. Her shoulder and knee burned painfully and she was so tired. Her brain was still fuzzy, as was the reason she was here in the first place. Oh, yes, she remembered being kidnapped by the White Rose Killer and escaping, but the place and face were just blurs.

She watched the confusion wash over his handsome face as he rubbed a hand over his eye. "Didn't know I was being stupid."

Sighing, she rested her injured arm across her stomach to somewhat elevate it. Man, her shoulder felt like it was ripped from her joint. Oh…right…it had been.

"Yes, well, you are. You know good and well that your not here for me--"

"Oh, yeah right." She blinked at his sudden outburst, not really expecting it. "I ended up leaving my home defending you, and you say I'm here for my appearance to the public. I almost had to use my damn scholarship money to find a home for you when you woke from you coma and got out of here. God forbid I be here because I wanted to. I'm just a cold bastard who only thinks about himself." Pushing back his chair, he almost stormed from the room, but she grabbed his sleeve, gasping in pain when the move jerked her shoulder.

All anger left as he panicked, trying to make sure she was comfortable as she slowly laid her arm back down, her jaw clenched as she bit back the sting of tears.

"Jesus, Hannah. I'm so sorry. Are you okay? Should I go get a doctor? Nurse?"

She shook her head, taking a deep breath before saying, "Are you…serious?"

Bewildered, he though back to what he had said earlier. "Uh…about getting a doctor?"

She groaned, rolling her eyes heavenward. "About you defending me. Did you…actually defend me to him?"

There was such hope in her weary eyes that he wanted to reach out and hold her, obliterate all bad memories of her past. He gave her a crooked smile. "Yeah. I did. Lost my room there, too. Ooh, that reminds me. I need to start looking for a home."

She was looking at him so softly, like it was the greatest thing anyone had done for her. Uncomfortable, he glanced around for the newspaper he had gotten earlier that morning so he could read the comics. They had job offers and house rentals in the paper, right?

"I…don't know what to say…"

He gave her a lopsided grin that had her heart skipping a few beats. "No need to say anything, really. I was going to happen sooner or later." He blushed madly when she thanked him. Hell, it would have been better if she had said nothing and left it alone, though he did feel like a king, the way she looked at him. Leave it to Hannah to make him feel like a god.

"I'm just wondering why you didn't do it sooner." His good mood fled, replacing a deep guilt that he would never rid of, no matter how old he grew or how much he pushed it aside.

"Yeah…so am I." He glanced away from her, finding it hard now to look at her without feeling the heart-crushing shame. Maybe now that she was awake, he could go to Helga's, stay there for awhile while he tried to work up a new life. He would somehow send money to her so she could start her own life, and never have to deal with her again.

But what he needed now was fresh air and some Aspirin for his pounding head. That fall of the bed had taken a toll on him, seeing as his head had broken the fall. He stood slowly, shoving his hands in his jean pockets.

She watched him, her skin pale, too pale and her eyes clouded with guilt. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. It wasn't your place to do anything about what had happened. If I were in your shoes, I probably would have done the same."

Concerned, he sat back down. "Can we just…let this go until you have the strength to fight back? I mean, you just woke up and there's already too much stress going on, so—"

"Ethan?"

He broke off. "Yeah?"

"I can't thank you enough."

He blushed, which Hannah found completely adorable. "Er…for defending you? I thought you already thanked me for that." His eyes widened. "I didn't mean that I'm not glad, no, I mean that, er, uh, that you don't have to thank me…no, yeah. Er, I was happy to do it…yeah."

She gave him a melodious, weary chuckle. Weakly, her eyes drifted shut, her long eyelashes resting softly against her cheeks, cheeks, he now realized, that were sprinkled with faint freckles. She sighed, lifting her eyelids and gazing at him. Her eyes were a striking blue, striped with traces of gold and green, though now, they were dull with fatigue and pain. "I just wanted to thank you for staying with me."

Hannah gave a deep chuckle as he blushed a deep scarlet. "You're not used to complements, are you?"

He snorted to hide his embarrassment. "'Course I get complements. Get 'em all the time from…women."

She glowered. "Yeah, I'm sure you do." Then, she muttered under her breath, "Every time you take them to your bed."

"Now that's getting personal."

She lifted her good hand to push a stray gold curl behind her ear. "And I'm really getting tired."

He nodded, standing slowly. She watched as he stretched his stiff muscles, enjoying the way his black shirt defined his muscled chest. He let out a sigh. "I'm gonna go…find something interesting to do."

She nodded, already drifting back to sleep. "'Night, Hannah."

"Goodnight, Ethan."

He left whistling. Maybe he was starting to get on her good side now. At least, he hoped he was.

* * *

Unlocking the door, Robin strolled into her apartment as if he lived there. Dropping the keys on the small end-table she had placed near the door, Robin turned to her, fishing out the prescription he had stuffed into his leather jacket earlier.

"Alright, here's the plan. I'll go get you something to eat while you rest, then when I come back, you can eat, sponge bathe or whatever, and go straight to bed. Tomorrow, I'll fill your medication, and then we'll go from there."

Pressing a hand slightly to her side, Star rolled her eyes heavenward. "And…if I don't obey?"

Robin blinked at her sudden challenge. Uh, since when did Star act so…so…seductive? He better have been the one to teach her that….

"Er…" He stared stupidly as she walked past him slowly, already working her sweatshirt above her head. Holding the torn clothing in front of her to inspect the damage, Starfire sighed. "I guess this is of no use anymore. I will never be able to get all the blood off."

There was a hollow feeling in his stomach as she said that. That was her blood coating the sweater. What if…what if her injuries had been more that just a deep cut? What if she had…had…died? Nauseous, Robin shook the thought away. He couldn't think like that. No, a life without having Star would be like…living in hell. Whoa, not that he meant having Starfire, like, in a relationship, but just her…being around…like a friend. Groaning inwardly, Robin grabbed the piece of clothing from her to inspect it himself.

Damn. The entire side was covered in blood, the slash in it long and jagged. As he glanced up to see the dark red on her white undershirt, he defiantly thought he would be sick. Now, the sight of blood usually never bothered him, but now…now was diffrent.

Lowering the shirt, Robin said softly, "Maybe you should go ahead and wash off."

She nodded before a twinkle sparkled in her green eyes. She walked to him, stopping when she was mere inches from him. "Are you going to…" She glanced up at him with a wicked smile "Help me? I don't think I could do it by myself…"

Gulping, Robin let her take his hand and lead him to the bathroom. Dear God, this woman was going to drive him to insanity.

* * *

Lex Twain stared at the ceiling, his mind a whirlwind of questions. Had the White Rose Killer been the one to run the titan off the road? Or was it just some freak playing a game? But the didn't make any sense. If that were the case, why them, why the titan girl? Could it have just been a coincidence? Could it have been that they were at the wrong place at the wrong time? But Twain didn't believe in coincidence. With all the years he had been a police officer, it was rare to find a case where the murder, rape, or robbery had been a coincidence. Well, maybe the victim of a rape, but this was different. Who would run a person off the road for the fun of it? And, who knew, maybe it had been a coincidence, but he had to think that it was not an accident.

His wife groaned, rolling over so she was spooned against his side. Well, her stomach was.

"Come on, Lex. It's late and you're still up." She sighed, resting her head against his shoulder.

He stroked her hair, lying his head on hers. "I can't sleep."

"Still thinking about the White Rose Killer?"

"Sort of."

She lifted her head to look at him. "What do you mean 'sort of'?"

He groaned. "Come on, Kate. I don't want to talk about this now."

Her eyes narrowed. "Alexander James Twain, just because I'm not working as you partner anymore doesn't mean that you can keep your cases from me. You know I will find out, even if I have to drag it out of you."

He sighed. "You shouldn't have to worry about things like this anymore. You're not working on the force anymore."

She gave an unladylike snort. "That's only because that bastard snuck up on me and fired. I would still be there if you and the boss would have let me."

"It's a damn good thing he told you that you couldn't go back. You almost died, Katelynn." uniform as he held her. The great and mighty Alexander Twain had cried for the first time in years that day as he had cradled his dying love in his arms.

She sighed, lying her head back down. "Yeah, I know. But I'm still alive and kickin'." She grimaced. "Speaking of kicking, these two are on a roll." She pressed a hand to her bulging belly. "I still can't believe we're having twins."

"Yeah, hope we have enough room." Thankful for the change of topic, Twain sighed, closing his eyes, letting the soft sent of his wife coax him to slumber.

"'Course we do." She shifted, sliding her leg between his. "Now, let's get back to what is keeping you up all night."

He groaned. "Come on, Kate—"

"Oh, no, you'll tell me."

Knowing her mood swings, he agreed. "Fine." Taking a deep breath, he told his wife about hiring the titans, how the White Rose Killer had suddenly starting attacking people, breaking his own flow, and the wreck.

"Damn, you do have yourself a complicating case."

"Yeah."

She was quite for a shirt moment, obviously thinking off a tie between the events. When she had been his partner, she had always been the one to track down a suspect. She could dissect clues, places, people, and events with just her mind. That had been the reason she was almost killed.

Finally, she said, "Lex…?"

"Hmm?"

"What if," she sat up to peer down at him, her eyes troubled, "what if The White Rose Killer knows the titans are behind this?"

* * *

Well, there ya go. I am finally finished with this chapter. I know there wasn't much BB/Rae, but the next, oh, two chapters will be about them. I got a lot planned for the two. So…until next time! 


	18. Chapter Seventeen: January 12th

Shoving a hand through her hair, Raven tried to block out the droning voice of her history teacher. The man had no interest in the American Revolution, or in his job for that matter. The tall man obviously had no social life. Probably still lived with his mother.

Raven cupped her chin in her hands, watching the snow fall softly onto the ground, coating the earth in a pure white blanket. That morning, Beast Boy had not talked to her at all. He had not come over, or called, and when they had ridden to school together, he had been in his own little world, barley even looking at her. At first, she had wondered if he was mad at her, but there was no reason for him to be. After the incident in the kitchen, he had eaten dinner with her, kissed her softly, and then returned to his own apartment. There had been no rude words, or cracks at his intelligence, only talks of memories they had shared at the tower. Maybe he had thought back to all the times she had bullied him. Hell, he might not have been thinking of her at all. He could have been thinking of anything. His world didn't depend around her.

Someone snored beside her. Glancing around at the classroom, Raven noticed that everyone had their heads bent, and were sleeping, whispering, or writing notes to one another. Raven was the only one with her head up. The teacher at the front of the class turned back to face his class, stopped mid-sentence, and rolling his eyes at the lack of attention her was receiving. Dropping down the short, stubby chalk, the man sat down at his desk, pulled out a thick novel, and began to read, letting his class do whatever they pleased.

Raven shrugged, leaning her cheek against her arm that dangled over the edge of the desk, watching the snow float down. Her mind drifted to Beast Boy again and their 'relationship'. Did they even _have_ one? Was there even anything there instead of a few make-out secessions and groping?

Closing her eyes, Raven tried to tell herself that there was nothing between them. _Beast Boy and I are just friends, nothing more. Yes, he will kiss me from time to time, but other than that, he acts like he did in the tower. But then again, he had said that in the tower, he had been shy, acting like an idiot to hide his attraction to me. Could…could it be possible that he is attracted to me?_

She could hear her emotions scoffing at her. Inside her head, an argument issued. She could feel Lust roll her eyes. _Oh, come on, Raven. Of course he's attracted to you, you idiot. He wouldn't finger you for the fun of it. _Raven groaned inwardly.

Knowledge spoke up. _Lust does have a point, though I do not agree with the blunt terms. Beast Boy is attracted to you--us. If you would just take the time to look into his eyes, you could decipher the clear fondness he has for us. He treats us like we are important. He cares not that we are half-demon, or that we were created not out of love, but of rape. He does not care. He loves, er, likes us for who we are. He is patient with your constant insipidness, so that in itself should mean something. _

_Jeez, Rae, _Sloth said, _even I can tell the hottie's attracted to us. It don't take a genius to figure it out. We know you're scared. Uh, hello, so are we. We ain't never been in a relationship before and we ain't never had a man attracted to us. Hell, that jerk off Malchoir used us to get what he wanted, and that left you wary of men. Come on, Sister, get off the pity train. Not all men are gonna fall head-over-heels for you dull attitude. No offence there, hun, but you gotta loosen up. _Inside her head, Sloth let out a large belch. Her emotions groaned.

_But what if he is only using us, _Timid whimpered. _He does not want us as a person, just as a…plaything that he can rid of when he is through with us. Beast Boy is too good for us, you all know. He deserves someone who can laugh at his jokes, who can love him unconditionally—_

_Oh, shove it, Timid, _Sloth growled. _I swear, one of these days I'll shove your timid head up your as—_

_Shut up, Sloth, _Brave snarled. _Leave the poor think alone. She can have her own opinion. _The sound of Timid's wailing filled her head. _Great, Sloth, look at what you have done. Perfect, now we'll have to talk over her sobs. _Brave groaned. _Damn it, Raven, why can't you just come inside your head? It would be so much easier and you still have forty minutes left of class. Mutter our incantation or go somewhere private, come in to your head, and we can finish this conversation like humans. Usually, people who have conversations inside their head are labeled as psychopaths. _

Raven cracked open an eye, lifting her head to make sure no one was listening or paying attention to her. Deciding to go somewhere private, Raven raised her hand, asking if she could go to the restroom. The teacher waved a hand, still reading. Raven took that as an okay and grabbed her books, knowing she wouldn't be back. Shutting the class door behind her, Raven debated where she could go. The roof was off, because of the snow, and anyone could walk into the bathroom, so she decided on the janitor's closet. Great. Usually, the only purpose of a janitor's closest was to make-out or have sex, and she was going to talk to her emotions. Typical for her.

Thankfully the door was open, and, glancing around her to make sure no one was near, slipped into the small room. It smelled of lemon and mold. Her nose wrinkled as she slid into her mediation position, her legs crossed and levitating about three feet from the ground.

Tension drained from her shoulders as she closed her eyes and spoke her beloved incantation. "Azarath Metrion Zenthos." Shortly, she was inside her mind, surrounded by her emotions.

"Took ya long enough," Sloth said, sprawled out on the dark, dead ground that sufficed for their meeting place.

"Yeah, whatever." Crossing her arms over her chest, Raven glanced around at her emotions. Timid whimpered softly behind a thick dead tree. Lust rolled her eyes, crossing her legs and skimming a long finger across the black pond.

"So, Raven, are you here to talk about our man?" Lust tilted her head, her amethyst eyes gleaming.

"Of course we are, " Brave said, leaning her forearms across her upraised knees. "The only time she comes to talk to us is when she's mad, hurt, or in emotional turmoil. I think it's the latter."

Happy clapped her hands gleefully. "Oh, don't you just love the way Beast Boy treats you? He's always kissing us, and holding us, and making us cry out—"

"Happy!" Knowledge scolded, closing her thick novel with a snap. Happy giggled as Knowledge glared, hopping up and trying to mimic a plane. Rolling her eyes, Knowledge pushed up her thin glasses.

"Back to the main topic. Beast Boy is attracted to us, that we know for sure. Our main problem resides with us."

All emotions turned to Knowledge, but before she could state her opinion, Rage interjected, "You know as well as I that we only use him for our own pleasure. You have no intention of letting him into your cold heart," she snarled, her voice nothing more than a deep hiss.

Raven glared but kept silent. "You only let him touch him because you know no one else will ever want you. Once you have him completely, you will push him away. You will have no use for him. He will end up being hurt and you will be to blame. You know as well as I that no one wants a half-demon who's only here because your mother was raped. Beast Boy is still young and naive. He will realize soon enough that you are not worth nothing more than a quick romp between the sheets." Rage smiled hatefully. "You only allow him to get close to you because you know that he will be the only man to touch you, the only man who would _want _to touch you. I still don't see why he wants anything to do with you."

"Why don't you go pull that stick outta your ass and leave this to us, Rage," Sloth said, sitting up and crossing her legs. "Just because you're far from attractive doesn't mean that we aren't. If she ever decides to let one of us out, we could find someone to love us, though you could never bring anyone in."

Rage snarled, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against a dead tree. "We shall see, now won't we, Raven?"

Ignoring her, Raven shifted her weight to one foot, then the other, gently rocking side to side.

"Anyway," Brave said, shoving her hair out of her face, " the point is, Beast Boy _does_ want you. But, it's your decision of you want to take things farther than just friendship. Now, your just friends who make-out once in awhile. If you want to date, or whatever you want to call it, then I suggest you get started now, because Beast Boy can't wait for you forever, Rae." Brave smiled. "It's not going to be an easy ride, Raven. Not for any of us."

Raven stared down at her feet when suddenly, she was jerked from her mind as she heard the janitor door shut. Eyes snapping open, Raven tumbled to the ground.

"Well, didn't mean to scare ya like that. I was just looking for a place to hide, and I find you hear."

Raven glared. "Damnit, Beast Boy, don't scare me like that."

He grinned, trying to fit his tall, lean frame into the small room. "You're just lucky it was me and not someone else, 'cause you were," he made quotation marks with his fingers, "floating."

Lifting herself from the ground, Raven tried to maneuver her body away from his. In the small space, all it did was ground herself against him.

"Whoa, hold it." He grabbed her hips to keep her from moving. She glanced up at his eyes, noting the way they clouded with suppressed passion. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Er, ah, so," scoffing at herself, Raven straightened her shoulders. "Why are you hiding?"

He gave a crooked grin. "Oh, right. Did you know that you had to have some sort of pass to walk around in the halls? Some stupid teacher tried to pull me into her classroom so she could write me a detention, so, while she was digging in her desk, I took off and jumped into the closes door I could get my hands on, and this was it. Boy, I was so lucky, wasn't I?"

"Yeah," Raven muttered. "Completely fortunate."

He chuckled, bunching her skirt in his hands so it rose slowly up her thighs.

"Beast Boy, not here," she groaned, glancing at the door.

He grinned down at her but his hands stopped, though the soft material was still clutched in his hands. "And why not?"

Raven bit her lip as he slid his legs between hers. "Well, we're in a janitor's closet at a school, which I'm sure gets much use, and, uh, seeing as the bell is about to ring, some…people might need to use it."

He moved closer to her so now, there was no space between them. "Well, Raven, I'd say that we'll be the ones using it." Raven groaned as Beast Boy slanted his mouth over hers.

* * *

"I have never been so bored in my entire seventeen years of living," Starfire moaned, kicking the tangle of covers off her legs.

Robin chuckled from the floor where he was doing his daily pushups. "It's not that bad, Star." Crawling to where she could see him, Star plopped down on her stomach, her unruly curls tumbling over her shoulder and onto the ground. "Yes, it truly is." Rolling onto her back and throwing her arm over her eyes, she groaned. "I have done nothing but sleep and count the many cracks in the walls. You will not allow me to travel outdoors, and the 'stuffing of the face' is not possible, seeing as I have yet to stock the refrigerator. All I have to do is lay here, watch the television, or pace the apartment."

Robin turned onto his back and sat up. "Do me a favor and hold my feet down." She nodded, still ranting about boredom, and sat down on his feet, her back to him. He grinned, shaking his head, and started to do his sit-ups, arms folded behind his head.

"Must I stay here? Why can I not travel to the outdoors?"

Robin sighed as he increased his speed. "Because, Twain told me this morning that you needed to stay indoor for awhile."

She turned her head to watch him. "Did he mention why?"

"Nope. He just said to keep you inside and with someone until he gets things settled."

Using her hands to keep his feet from rising, Starfire turned her body so she now faced him. Sitting on his feet once again, she stretched out her legs. Robin glanced at her sock-clad feet beside his head with a smile before pulling himself up again.

She groaned, crossing her arms over his knees and resting her chin on them. "I just wonder why."

Starfire watched the muscles of his stomach strain beneath his white shirt, wondering what it would feel like to run her hands across the hard surfaces.

"Probably because some idiot tried to kill you last night." Supporting his weight on his elbows, Robin studied her. The cut above her eye was covered by a small white bandage, but he had seen what laid beneath it. The dark bruise with a deep cut down the center, the blood still running from it. It was something he would never forget.

"Yes, well, that it still no reason to keep from the real world outside these claustrophobic walls."

Robin rolled his eyes and started to continue his sit-ups. "Unfortunately, Star, that is a good reason to keep you here. But I'm stuck in here with you as well."

Her emerald eyes narrowed. "Are you inferring that that you do not wish to be here with me?"

His golden eyes widened before he rolled them. "No. I'm not saying that I don't want to be here with you, but I am saying that I have to succumb to boredom the same as you."

"Oh," she sighed, resting her cheek against her arm. "Perhaps, then…we could find something of interest to do."

Robin snorted. There were plenty of things that they could do, but all he could think of included her body and he would make damn sure none of his fantasies came to become realities. He couldn't end up hurting her by taking the only thing she had left to give him.

"How about…oh! I don't not know!" Groaning, she leaned her chin against her arm.

Robin smiled. "You know, there is an indoor pool we can use."

Her eyes lit up. "Truly?"

"Yeah. I'll call down there and see if we can use it for a while."

She clapped her hands in glee. "Oh, please do!" Climbing off his feet, she jumped onto the bed, bouncing once, before watching him as he called the front desk.

After a few moments of conversing with the person at the front desk, Robin hung up the phone. "Alright, they said it was fine."

She grinned before her face fell. "But what of the bandage I am not supposed to get wet?"

He thought about it for a moment before coming up with a solution. "We can always change it later. I mean, come on, it's a stupid bandage. Anyway, he said that he didn't want you to get it wet _last night_. He said nothing about today."

She laughed before throwing her arms around his neck. She pulled back just as the shock wore from his eyes. "But will people not find it strange that were are in a pool in the middle of a snowstorm?"

"It's heated, Star." He grinned. "And, anyways, it'll mean that we're the only one's down there."

* * *

With a deep sighed, Raven watched the girl in front of her kick the kickball and run to first base. _Thank God it's last period,_ Raven muttered to herself as she pulled her jersey off her chest and fanned herself. Playing kickball was not her idea of fun, especially with the girls being spoilsports. And, uh, the athletic boys were watching from the weight room above the girls' gym, including Beast Boy and Cyborg.

"Come on, Moody! Kick it as hard as you can!" Groaning inwardly, Raven stepped up to the orange home plate. "Great. Watch me fall and bust my butt."

Harley Waylin patted her on the back. "Don't worry about it. It's happened to me before with them watching. Just laugh and get up. It helps the humiliation." Raven glanced back at Waylin's daughter. She was only a sophomore, but acted older than her sixteen years. She was a petite little thing, with a sprinkle of freckles and long, strawberry blonde hair that was more red than blonde. Her sea green eyes were light, and held an innocence that reminded Raven of Starfire.

She winked. "Good luck."

Raven snorted. "Yeah, I'll need it."

Harley laughed, shoving her thick ponytail behind her back. "As will I when it comes time for me to kick."

As the pitcher rolled the ball, Raven sighed. "Here goes nothing," she muttered as she brought back her leg and kicked as hard as she could. Raven watched with surprise as her ball ricocheted off the far wall and slid out of sight.

"Go! Run!" Snapping out of it, Raven ran to the first base, and, since the second baseman had run to get the ball, she made a beeline for it. Still, they had not caught the ball.

"Hurry! Run to third" Her team yelled. Raven ran as fast as she could and, from the way the third base man was screaming at them to throw the ball, Raven figured she was about to be out. But, hey, she was on a roll. Before the baseman could completely catch the ball, Raven barreled into her, trying to control her balance. Unfortunately, they crashed to the floor.

"Touch the base! Touch the base!" Untangling herself from the baseman, Raven slammed her palm down on the base just as someone was about to touch it with the red ball.

"Safe!" Her team cheered, as did Beast Boy and Cyborg. Raven let out a much needed breath as she pulled herself up to her feet. The baseman laughed. "That was one helluva tumble there, kid."

Falling into her role of Dru Moody, Raven grinned. Well, at least she hoped she grinned. Maybe it didn't look like as rusty as it felt. Thankfully, her show of emotions didn't crack the gym in two. Come to think of it, her emotions had stayed in check since they had started the mission. What was the deal?

"Alright, Harley. You're one helluva hard kicker, so…do whatcha gotta do." Raven glanced up as Harley prepared to kick the ball. She bit her lips, showing braces. Actually, Raven mused, the braces just made her utterly adorable.

Bring back long longs, Harley kicked the ball and Raven ducked as the ball headed for her. The baseman tried to catch it, but instead, the force of the ball threw her off balance and she crashed to the floor, the ball rolling away. Quickly, Raven darted to the home base, adding a point to her team. With incredible speed, Harley soon followed, stealing all the bases in less than thirty seconds.

"Damn," Raven muttered as they both bent over to catch their breaths. "You're one tough little thing, aren't you."

She grinned, flashing bright white teeth behind green and blue braces. "You get pretty tough when you're dad's on the police force and he makes sure you take every karate class there is. I'm proud to say that I've already mastered my black belt."

"Whoa."

She shoved a stray hair behind her ear and retied her thick blue ribbon. "Yeah. Unfortunately, I never wanted to take it. I wanted to dance, but, well, my mother was raped a long time ago and they both wanted me to know how to defend myself, knowing that they couldn't always protect me." She shrugged a slim shoulder. "Anyway, I think we're ahead by, like, fifteen points."

Raven nodded. "Yeah, I think we're about to tie things up."

Harley laughed. "Yeah, lets hope so. I'm in dire need for a shower."

* * *

Beast Boy grunted as he picked up two forty pound weights and slipped them onto the bar. "Dude, hurry up," Cyborg said.

"Shut up, _Victor_."

Cyborg grinned at his friend. "Testy, aren't we?"

"You two fight like an old married couple," Colt Davis muttered, shoving his curly dark brown hair off his forehead.

Cyborg snorted. "Hell, you should see Rae—Dru and Logan at it."

Colt lifted an eyebrow. "Who?"

"No one," Beast Boy muttered, his face heating with a blush. Cyborg rolled his eyes as he lifted the two hundred and fifty bar effortlessly. Colt stared at him in astonishment.

"Dru is Logan's 'girlfriend'."

"She is not."

"Is too."

"Is not."

"Too."

"Not."

"Too."

"Not."

"Too."

"Not times infinity."

Colt rolled his eyes. Being pared up with these two was like a never-ending fight. Personally, Colt loved it.

"Dude, you sound so stupid." Cyborg chuckled as Beast Boy added another eighty pounds to the bar.

"Oh, yeah, whatever." Beast Boy turned to Colt. "So, what grade are you in?"

"I'm a junior." Beast Boy nodded, glancing over the railing to watch the kickball game. Raven ran to home, followed by a fast little thing.

"Damn, she's fast."

Colt leaned over, resting his elbows on the aged railing. "That would be Harley Waylin, the captain's daughter. I don't think anyone's ever gotten near her without her dad tracking them down. Luckily, I live next door and her father trusts me."

Beast Boy raised an eyebrow "Do I hear a love confession coming on?"

Colt's eyes widened. "I'm not that obvious, is it?"

Beast Boy laughed. "Dude, I was just joking. I didn't even know."

Colt elbowed him good-naturedly. "Jerk." Leaning his back against the rail, Colt watched Cyborg lift the weight like it was nothing more than air. "I've been in love with Harley for years now. She doesn't even know. She treats me, well, like a friend. But I can kinda see where she might think I have no interest in her, seeing as I, uh, well, let's just say I'm not a monk."

Cyborg chuckled. "Good way to put it."

Colt grinned. The coach blew the whistle, snapping them out of their conversation. "Let's hit the showers, men!"

Beats Boy and Colt gave one last look down at the gym before walking to the locker room.

* * *

Raven wrapped a short white towel around her chest, securing it by tucking on end inside the towel Reaching for her brush, Raven ran it through her long hair.

"That was a pretty good game," Harley said, tying her elbow length hair into a wet ponytail.

"Yeah. Considering I played and our team won."

Harley chuckled. "Losing team always has to run a few extra laps."

"Harsh," Raven muttered, grabbing her clothes and slipping them on.

"Yeah." Securing the ribbon, Harley propped a hip against the lockers. "It still sucks that I have to stay in after I get home from school."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Are you talking about the alert the police sent out about the White Rose Killer?"

"Yes. Fortunately, Colt drives me home everyday. He has the coolest Harley. And, uh," she grinned, "I get to hold on to him the whole time."

Raven smiled, rolling her eyes. "I'm guessing you've got a crush on this guy."

Harley snorted, folding her arms over her chest. "Crush? Hell, I'm in love with the guy. Have been for awhile."

"Hmm, interesting." Smoothing out her skirt, Raven grabbed her bag, walking out the back doors, Harley following.

"So…you got anyone your pining after?"

Raven slid a glare at the girl. "Not really." _You are such a liar, Raven,_

"Your such a liar."

Raven stopped to narrow her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Harley grinned. "Ooh, there's Colt. Gotta run. See you later, Dru." She ran off to meet Colt, jumping into the teen's arms as he squeezed her. She laughed, entwining her arms with his and walking to his Harley.

Rolling her eyes, Raven glanced both ways before crossing the street to the parking lot. Hearing the loud squeal of tires, Raven glanced up, her breath catching as a red, dented truck barreled toward her.

"_Raven!"_

* * *

Er, uh, I think I'm going to have another 'warning chapter', except the next one might be a little…heavier. But, if there is one, I'll warn you, otherwise, well, you won't see a warning. Anyways, until the next time! 


	19. Chapter Eighteen: Januray 12th

**Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! **

Otay, peeps, this has some, er, stuff in it that might be offensive to some people, so, take my warning and just skip it when it comes. (Only if you are offended) So, don't flame me because I have it in here, 'cause, I warned you, and if ya flame me for it, that kinda tells me what kinda person you are. I don't mean to be rude, but it's pointless to flame me for something I warned you about. Anyways, sorry I didn't post this sooner, but I had a research paper due, and now, where still trying to tie up lose ends at school. Wehad a carnival here and I had three friends go with me! Wow, guess I'm losing up a bit and becoming more outgoing! Ya me! Anyway…enjoy! Oh, yeah, Warning! Might be offensive happening in here so skip it if you are offended!

* * *

Breath catching her throat, Raven watched in horror as the vehicle barreled down on her. Her feet couldn't move, nor could her mind function. Dear God, she was going to die.

"Raven!" Inside her clouded mind, she heard him scream out her name, felt the bone-jarring pain as a body slammed into her, knocking her down on to the pavement. Skin tore from her shoulder as her and her savior rolled on the ground. They crashed into a nearby tree and laid there as pain burned through them.

Gasping for breath, Raven watched as her knight in shining armor lifted his head.

"Beast Boy." The skin beneath his left eyes had been torn, a steady stream of blood trailing down his cheek.

"Oh God, Raven, are you hurt?" Heat worked its way into her cheeks as he ran his hands over her body in search of wounds. Slowly, she rose, pushing him to the side. Almost being killed in front of hundreds of people was bad enough, but having him run his hands over her was sure to send her emotions into a frenzy, and she really didn't want to have to explain blowing something, or _someone_, up.

"I'm fine…I think." Rubbing her head, Raven glanced around. People stared at them with wide, frightened eyes from the courtyard. The truck that had tried to run her down disappeared from sight, its wheels squealing in protest as it rounded a corner.

Raven looked down at Beast Boy, her breathing labored. Beast Boy's eyes searched hers, concern and horror evident in his dark green gaze. He stood slowly, his movements stiff thanks to a few pulled muscles he had earned when diving to save her. He reached down to help her up, and, when she was on her feet, pulled her into a large hug, her feet dangling above the ground. Raven held onto his shoulder, her nails digging into his skin incase he dropped her. He was emotionally unstable at the moment.

"You scared the hell out of me, Raven. I thought…Jesus Christ, that son-of-a-bitch tried to kill you." He ran his large hand up and down her spine as fury built within him.

"I'm fine. You're more injured than I am."

He glanced down at her torn shoulder, his mind a whirlwind of panic. "If I hadn't been there…"

"Oh my God! Dru, are you okay?" Harley skidded to a halt beside them, Colt hot on her heels. Colt steadied her as she lost her balance by wrapping an arm under her chest.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Raven glanced at Beast Boy. His eyes were dark with fury as he stared at the street where she had almost been killed.

"Did anyone get the license plate?" Beast Boy asked quietly.

Colt let out a breath. "Not that I know of. I'll ask around though." As Colt hurried across the street, Raven dusted the snow from Beast Boy's shirt. Her heart was still pounding in her chest, and though she hated to admit it, she was scared.

"I think one of the teacher's called the police, so, why don't you sit down until they get here?"

"No, I'm fine."

Harley's eyebrows drew together. "Are you sure?"

"I would have said something if I wasn't," Raven snapped. Blinking at her temper, Raven watched the emotion's skitter across Harley's adorable feature. None of the were what she expected; understanding, worry, and a pinch of amusement.

"Alright."

They watched as Colt hurried back, a flip-phone in his hand. "One of the kids got a quick pic of the back of the truck as it, er, tried to kill Dru. It's kinda blurred, but—"

Beast Boy snatched the camera phone from his grip, leaving Colt staring at the hand that had just been holding the phone. "O-Kay."

Blinking, Colt pulled Harley into the shelter of his arms, resting his hands on her small waist. _They sure are close for friends_, Raven thought, noticing the way his hands seemed to swallow the girl's waist.

"Damnit!" Beast Boy snarled. "That bastard didn't even have a license plate."

Colt scratched the back of his head. "Well, yeah, seeing as he was probably trying to run her down. Didn't look like an accident to me. Anybody trying to run someone down in broad daylight in front of hundreds of people would think to take their license plate off."

Beast Boy moved so suddenly that Harley had no time to duck. As Beast Boy's fist slammed into Colt, Harley squealed. Thankfully, when Colt hit the ground, he didn't take Harley with him.

Lying on his back, Colt wiped the blood from his busted lip.

"Oh, Colt." Kneeling down to him, Harley started to coo over his wounds, running her long, slim fingers across his bottom lip.

Wide-eyed, Raven stared at Beast Boy. "What in the hell was that for!"

"No, no, it's okay. I would have done this same," Colt grimaced as he ran his tongue over his lip. "I think."

Realizing what he did, Beast Boy's eyes widened. "Oh, dude, I…I…it's just…you were talking like…damn, I am so sorry…"

Colt got to his feet, working the kink from his jaw. "I understand where you're coming from. If I were in your shoes, I'd have done it, too."

"Yeah, glad you're forgiving him, but that's no reason to just sucker punch an innocent man," Raven seethed, her eyes dangerously narrowed and spitting violet fire.

Grimacing, Beast Boy rubbed the back of his neck. "It's just that he was talking like he had run people over before, and I was just so ticked at the bastard who tried to kill you that my anger took over. God, Colt, I'm so sorry."

"No prob. Anyways, the ladies love the war wounds." Harley sent him a seething glare that had Colt fidgeting.

Sirens wailed in the distance, gaining all teens' attention. Followed not far behind was a black SUV.

"Twain," Raven and Beast Boy muttered under their breaths. Of course, he was the first one out of the vehicle, his black dress coat streaming in the harsh wind. Raven did have to admit that Twain was a very attractive man for someone his age. Very handsome. Not that she was attracted to older men but…Beast Boy was still 'hotter'.

"Spill," Was the first thing Twain said as approached them.

Shifting his weight, Beast Boy started on the events. Halfway through telling what the car looked like, Twain said, "He knows."

Exchanging looks, Raven asked cautiously, "Who knows?"

Twain muttered lewd curses under his breath, rubbing his eyes with the tips of his fingers. All Raven caught out of his ramblings was "all this damn work for fucking nothing" and could not figure out what was going on.

Tips of fingers still pressed against his eyes, Twain asked impatiently, "Are you sure it was a red dented truck?"

Colt cautiously stepped forward, a bloodied cloth pressed against his lip. "Yeah, it was. I think it was a '89 Chevy with double doors."

"Who the hell are you?"

Eyebrow's furrowed, he said, "Colt Davis."

Twain glared. "That's it? Just Colt Davis?"

"You want my middle name?"

"What do you think?"

Glancing around to make sure no one heard but them, Colt blushed. "Colt James Davis."

"Alright, Mr. Colt James Davis, you witnessed everything?"

Colt nodded. "Yeah, Harley and I were standing by—"

"Harley Waylin?"

Thrown off, Colt glanced behind him. Harley was leaning down to dust snow from her loafers, and, feeling all eyes one her, glanced up. Straightening, she blinked. "Did someone say my name?"

"You're Waylin's kid, aren't you?"

Toying with the ends of her hair that rested against her chest, Harley nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"Never-mind. Now, you say that this red truck tried to run you over?"

Raven nodded her head like she was talking to a slow child. "Yes. I even looked both ways before I crossed and there was nothing there except a couple of parked cars. Then, I walked across, and I heard the squeal of tires, so, I glanced up, and, well, let's just say I froze and stood there like a deer caught in the headlights, but thankfully, Be—Logan, saved me."

"Alright." Turning his head, Twain started to bark orders and signaled the paramedics. "Check these two out."

Raven had the urge to slap hands away as they poke and prodded her, and almost succumbed to the inclination when a male paramedics ripped the arm off her blouse.

Raven glanced at her skinned arm, to him, then back to her arm. "Hey, that's the only blouse I have!" The man ignored her, placing an alcohol-drenched swab against it. Raven hissed at the pain and she 'reacted' by kicking the paramedic in the knee.

He cursed, glaring up at her as he rubbed his knee, but she just grinned. "It was a reaction."

"Whatever," he muttered, returning to his job. Though most of the excitement had been doused, some students still lingered around incase the media showed up. An hour after the incident, the courtyard was empty. Harley and Colt had left earlier so Harley could get to work and Raven and Beast Boy had been let go after question after question had been answered.

Inside the car, all was silent save for the steady hum of the heater. Hands folded in her lap, Raven glanced at Beast Boy from the corner of her eye. His head rested on his hand, elbows placed on the window-seal. Not knowing whether to say something or not, Raven let out a breath.

"Beast Boy…"

"Look, Rae, I don't really want to talk right now, okay?"

Raven glanced away from him, watching the snowy scenery from the frosty window. It wasn't like he just outright rejected her, but his soft comment still stung. She knew he was thinking of what had happened, but damnit, she had almost been the one who almost got run over. He wasn't the victim here, she was, and she was taking this better than him. Raven rubbed her palm against her skirt as she bit her lip to keep from saying something. She needed to talk about this. She had lived so long holding her emotions inside her, and now, when she wanted to talk about this, he didn't. Maybe she could call Starfire or…listen to her. Less than a week in the real world, and she couldn't handle being alone. She had spent her life alone, separating herself from her friends in the tower, and now, when she was away from them, she couldn't handle the quiet. And, damnit, Beast Boy had always tried to talk to her, but she would push him away. Now, he was throwing it all back in her face. It's true what they say: What goes around, comes around.

The apartment loomed into view. Raven waited patiently for him to park the car, and, once he did, she hopped out, practically running to the elevator to make sure he didn't catch it with her. Of course, with his cat like grace, he did, just as the doors were closing, too.

Taking a deep breath, Raven scooted away from him, staring at a small stain on the red carpet. _Come on, come on, how freaking long does it take to get to the fifteenth floor?_ In the small space, Beast Boy sent drifted toward her. Raven suppressed a groan. _Jeez, aren't guys supposed to smell all musty and stuff? Why does Beast Boy have to small so damn good? He's probably one of those men that take a shower every night, no matter what. Bet he takes them in the morning too, and that's why he smell's so fresh. Jesus, I'm talking about how the guy smells. If that's not infatuation, then I don't know what is._ Snaking a glance in his direction, Raven slyly studied the small, butterfly bandage beneath is eye. She had to admit, it look adorable on him. His dyed skin was dark against the bright white cloth, but, for some reason, Raven missed his green skin that had darkened over the years. Beast Boy just wasn't Beast Boy without the green skin. Maybe she would get lucky and the dye would wear off…

Lost so deep in her thoughts, the _ding_ of the elevator made her jump. A lopsided grin spread across Beast Boy's gorgeous features as a blush heated her face at being caught off guard by a stupid elevator. As Raven approached her door, already digging for her keys in her backpack, she was highly aware that he was still behind her. If he didn't want to talk, then why was he coming into her apartment?

Unlocking her door, Raven ventured inside, throwing down her books and heading straight for the phone, Beast Boy following her. As she dialed Starfire's number, Raven leaned against the counter, the edge pressing against her back. Beast Boy walked in and stood in front of her, his eyes dark. It took her but a few seconds to realize that he was aroused. Before she could tell him anything, he pressed a finger to her lips and leaned forward to trace kisses along her jaw.

Swallowing hard, Raven answered as Starfire picked up. "Hey, Star."

On the other line, Starfire said, "Hello, Friend Raven. Raven, you sound different. Your voice is much deeper, yes."

Her breath caught as he slowly unbuttoned her blouse, his lips following the path of his fingers. "Uh, I've, ah, got a cold." Raven's eyes drifted closed as he pushed up her undershirt to kiss her bared stomach, teething nipping playfully, his hands trailing up her thighs.

"Oh, I am sorry to here it."

"It's…no problem." Raven's eyes snapped open as he hooked on finger beneath her underwear and slowly worked it down her legs. "What are you—"

"Shh, Raven. Just talk," Beast Boy whispered, glancing up at her seductively. "Just…trust me."

"Did you say something, Raven?" Starfire asked, completely unaware of what was going on.

"No—No. I didn't say anything. I, uh, was just calling too…uh…" When he lifted her leg, slid her underwear off, and placed her foot against his shoulder, she knew exactly what he was doing and her heart seemed to stop beating.

"Starfire, I got to go." Beast Boy grinned as he pulled her to his mouth. The phone slid from Raven's hand, dropping to the floor.

* * *

Starfire glanced at the phone, one eyebrow raised. "Alright." Robin popped out of the bathroom, a tight white sleeveless shirt hugging his chest and his loose red swim trunks hitting just above his knees.

"What was that about?"

Starfire shrugged a slim shoulder. "Raven is…strange now."

"Ah, okay." Ruffling his hair, Robin grabbed a towel. "Ready?"

Starfire nodded, glancing down at the simple large white T-shirt covering her swimsuit. "Robin, will we not look…'stupid' like this?"

Robin grinned. "Starfire, it's hard for you to look stupid. Now, me, one the other hand…"

Starfire smiled, slipping into her flip-flops and grabbing a towel. Snatching up her keys, Robin and Starfire walked down the deserted hallway to the elevator. Robin chuckled as Starfire peeked around corners to make sure no one saw her dressed as she was.

"Starfire, why are you so worried about someone seeing you in a shirt and swimsuit?"

She blushed deeply, dragging him back as Jonathan rounded the corner. "I am…unusual looking. I have yet to see anyone who has orange skin as I do, and if we are to stay undercover, then I must hide my skin."

Robin suppressed a groan. "Jeez, Star, you have some serious self-esteem issues going on."

She shrugged a slim shoulder, the oversized white shirt sliding down a fraction, baring a thin, white strap.

"No one is in the hallways, now." Grabbing his hand, they darted to the elevator. As the elevator descended to it's destination, Starfire started to unbraid her hair. He watched her long slim fingers comb through the red mass, and suddenly, he knew what he had to do. It was wrong, but he had to do it. Hell, he had already waited too damn long to do this.

Finally on the pool floor, Robin pushed open the swinging doors that lead to the Olympic-size pool. Thankfully, it was empty. Seemed billowed from the pool, fogging the one-way mirrors. The scent of chlorine hit him, and, strangely, the smell was comforting.

"Oh, joy!" Immediately, Starfire threw off the shirt, tossing it to the side with her towel, and dived in, her body in perfect alignment as she beautifully hit the water. Robin bit back a groan as he got a good look at the trim, muscled body of his best friend. That innocent white bikini she wore with the cute ties at the hips just made her more seductive. He started to have second doubts as he watched her surface, her hair streaming behind her and droplets of bright blue water dripping down her neck, but his conscious got the better of him.

"Come on, Robin. The water is exquisite! I have not been in a pool in…too long." She grinned before floating on her back. Robin stared at the white bandage across her side, his head cocked. Feeling his gaze, Starfire glanced up. He was watching her, yes, but he was seeing beyond her.

"Robin…?" She asked cautiously, slicking her red hair back. "Is something the matter?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Robin glanced at her and smiled. "No. I was just thinking."

Star watched as he took his shirt off, blushing when she found herself staring. To busy herself, she dove beneath the heated water, swimming gracefully to the shallow end. Rising above, she folded her arms across the edge, resting her chin against her forearm. She heard him dive in, heard the ripple of waves, and felt the brush of water against her legs and as he came up behind her.

Sliding both hands around her waist and resting his large hands against her stomach, Robin leaned his chin on her shoulder.

"Starfire?"

"Hmm?"

Gathering up her hair, Robin slid it over the opposite shoulder so he could nip at the tan-orange skin. "We…have to talk…about us." He felt her stiffen, then slowly relax as she forced herself to be calm. He closed his eyes, already hating himself.

_You're a selfish bastard, Richard Grayson._ _You know you should have told her this sooner. Damnit, you shouldn't have even kissed her. She's your best friend, and you might have ruined everything because you can't hold you hormones in check._

"I know," she said quietly, knowing the pain was about to come in large tidal waves. She closed her eyes against the tears she knew were to come.

"Star…you know I can't be with you in the way you want me to."

She clenched her teeth. "Not can't. Won't."

He sighed, resting his forehead against her shoulder. This would probably be the last time he ever held her like this. Damn, why did that thought hurt so much?

"Please, Star. This is hard enough as it is. I hate hurting you like this, but if I go on doing what I have been, I'll end up killing you emotionally. I've already shed you of some of you innocence, and that in itself is wrong. You don't deserve me, baby. You deserve someone who can be with no matter what, someone who can actually love you. And…kissing you and making you believe that there's some other feeling that doesn't exist is wrong. Starfire, I can't…no, I don't love you and you know that. I can never think of you as anything more than my best friend."

She couldn't stop the tears that flowed, but she would be damned if she started to bawl. She was better than that, no matter how much this was killing her. Her heart felt as though he were ripping it to tiny shred with his bare hands, even though she knew, deep down, he was trying desperately not to hurt her.

"I've been leading you on, Starfire. I should have never kissed you in the first place, but I've been attracted to you for a while and it just seemed…right. God, Starfire, you don't know how much this is killing me. I know I'm hurting you, but I can't do this to you any longer. I let things go too far when I should have stopped myself."

He could feel her body shake with suppressed tears, and for the first time, she felt so vulnerable, so frail in his arms. No one would even know how much he truly hated himself for what he was doing to her, for what he had already done. She didn't deserve to be hurt so badly, especially when he was the one hurting her.

"I just…can't do it anymore. I can't use you for my own pleasure. If I did…take you the way I wanted, it would only be for physical pleasure and nothing else. I don't love you Starfire. I never will love you like you want me to."

She took a deep, shaking breath, but it ended up being a sob. Robin closed his eyes tightly. He hadn't cried since the death of his parents but now, Jesus, he could feel the hot burn beneath his eyelids, the pain in his throat of keeping them at bay.

Her body shook as quiet sobs racked though her body, but he had to get everything out. He could leave nothing left unsaid. "I never let myself get close to women because I was so scared I would hurt you. Every time I tried to get close to someone, you would pop into my head and I couldn't do it. I had so many chances to finally get you out of my head, and I couldn't do it. But…now…I have to do this, Star. I can't keep hurting you like this." Robin clenched his teeth when his voice actually broke.

"I'm so sorry, Starfire." He kept his eyes closed as he listened to her heart-rending sobs. Knowing he couldn't make anything better, Robin turned her around, holding her close to him. At first, she fought against him, pounding her fist against his chest in a bruising force, but his arms tightened around her. As if her strength left her, Starfire collapsed against him. She knew it would hurt, but never imagined it would be this bad. She had never felt anything things like this in her entire life_. I don't love you Starfire. I never will love you like you want me to._ She wept harder, her throat burning. _I don't love you and you know that. I can never think of you as anything more than my best friend._

"I know, baby. I know it hurts." Hr rubbed her spine, wishing he could leap from the highest mountain and never hear her sobs again. "But, Starfire, just because I don't love you like a wife or lover doesn't mean I don't need you. I do, Star. I need your friendship more than I need anything in this world. I've never told anyone about how I feel, but, I need you Starfire. You're my best friend and I hate that I have probably ruined it—"

"You…you h-have not ruined it, Robin."

"God, Starfire, I know that you love me. I have for a while, and that's why this kills me so much. You've given yourself to me emotionally, and I'm sitting here throwing it back in your face. You deserve so much more than I can give you. There will be some out there who you'll love even more than me." Her sobs grew harder. "This will hurt for awhile, but you'll get over it, and give your heart to some other…other man." That was so hard to say. He might not love her, but she was the closest person to him since, well, his parents.

"I-I do not t-think that I can love anyone more that I have loved y-you."

"Starfire, there's no reason for you to love me—"

"Yes there is! You were the only one who…who…" She couldn't finish her sentence. Dear Gandlor, this hurt so much. She just wanted to curl into a ball and never see daylight again. Suddenly, the world was not just black and white to her. There was so much color, so much _dark_ color. Hurt, pain, agony, hate. This world was not innocent and happy. There was no room for innocence. All her time on earth had been beautiful, happy, and exciting. The crimes they fought had not even tampered the beauty. But then, she had not known what real pain was. She had never felt the emptiness of being alone. Now she knew the reason Raven hid behind her powers.

"Starfire…why don't we go ahead inside? Then you can take a long, hot bath and…"

"I need to go, Robin." Pushing away from him, Starfire climbed from the pool, her vision blurred as she grabbed her things and ran from the pool, not even bothering to pull the shirt over her white two piece bikini.

Robin watched her go, his heart heavy. Never in his entire life had he hated himself so much. "I'm so sorry, Starfire," Robin whispered to the air, shoving his shaking hands through his wet black tresses. "I'm so sorry."

* * *

_"Damnit, Colt, I'm freaking freezing out here!" Harley hopped around, trying to keep herself warm. She had just started working at Dillard's not a month ago and now, thanks to the stupid psycho White Rose Killer, the mall closed at eight. And, being that the mall was in a deserted area, not many people showed up her. So, here she was, cursing Colt to a hundreds death on her cell phone, and hoping around in her long white peasant style dress and flip-flops. The only thing keeping her arms warm was a dark blue denim jacket._

_"I'm so sorry, Lee. I was, er, kinda busy." Harley let out a primitive growl when she heard a giggle in the background. _

_"Colt James Davis! You're thirty minutes late picking me up because you're screwing your girlfriend? You bastard! I'm standing out here, in an empty parking lot, freezing my ass off in ten degree weather, with a rapist out on the lose, and you're with your girlfriend. I hate you, Colt. I really do."_

_She heard him sigh, but she was too pissed and too hurt to care. "Look, Harley, I'll be there in—"_

_"No. You know what? I'll walk home!"_

_"Don't you dare! Not with a rapist out on the loose! Harley, stay there! I'll be there in less than five minutes."_

_"I'm walking. I've been here for thirty damn minutes and not one person has touched me. It's only a few blocks from here anyway."_

_"You stubborn little—just stay there. I'm already getting in the car."_

_Harley groaned as her teeth started to chatter. "Jesus, Colt, how is it that you always forget me?"_

_"What do you mean?" She could here him start the car, hear a loud, obnoxious giggle, and gritted her teeth._

_"Am I really not that important to you?"_

_"Wh—what? Why would you ask something like that? How stupid can you get?"_

_"You bastard…" Suddenly, she went quiet. _

_"Harley? Harley? Harley, say something!"_

_"Co-Colt?"_

_"What is it, baby? What's wrong?"_

_He could hear her ragged breathing on the other end and his heart started to pound. "Come on, Harley, what's wrong?"_

_"He's here."_

_"Who's here? Tell me who's there!" Colt peeled out of his driveway, jerking his date back, and speeding through stop signs. He had to get there. Harley never got scared, not even around spiders and snakes and stuff. It was one of the reason he was so in love with her. _

_"That truck. The one—the one who tried to kill Dru. It red and dented and…oh God. He's getting out. He has a mask on and…and, he's heading this way. He's got something in his hand. He's, oh God…"_

_"Harley, get the fuck out of there. Run, damnit, run!"_

_"Colt," she whimpered, her voice breaking. _

_"What, baby? What is it?"_

_"He has a white rose in his hand."_

XxX

I know I've kinda portrayed Robin as a jerk, but now, hopefully, this chapter makes him out to be the tough and sweet leader we all know and love. See, hopefully, how, you know he's not the cold, unfeeling bastard he was in the beginning. And, also, Starfire's not weak. She's never dealt with these typed of emotions before, so she doesn't know how to act. Some people say that Star, in this, is weak, but, truthfully, she's just naive. Oh, yeah, and, uh, don't know how the thing between Beast Boy and Raven turned out, cause, yeah, well, er, just going off stuff I read. I'm, ah, gonna shut up now. Oh, right, sorry if you were offended. Sorry this didn't get published sooner, but I had to deal with, er, people. Until next time!


	20. Chapter Nineteen: January 12th and 13th

Raven leaned her head against the cool tiles as the hot water beat softly against her back. Her mind wondered back to the accident, to the fright she felt, and then to going home, feeling Beast Boy's mouth…oh God, she really didn't need to go there.

Groaning as her body responded to the thought, Raven washed the soap from her body and shut off the water. Things with Beast Boy had gotten…personal. Never in her entire seventeen years of living had she felt such raw…pleasure. Yeah, okay, so she had dreamed about it a few times, but she had never expected it to happen, especially when it was Beast Boy using his…okay, not going to go there again.

Raven wrapped a towel around her chest, trying to rid her long dark hair of annoying tangles. After changing into a black Slipknot T-shirt and purple pajama bottoms, Raven crawled onto her bed, diving beneath the warm, silk covers. Despite the fact that the fire blazed in the hearth across from her bed, she was freezing. Even though the mayor was paying for the utilities, Raven didn't want to run the heater. What she really needed, no, wanted, was to snuggle against Beast Boy.

_See, this is the reason why you were never in a relationship before. You get too caught up. But, I guess, considering the terms…_ Raven groaned again. Heat once again pooled in her stomach as she remembered the way he pleasured her, the way she had cried out his name. It seemed that she was never going to let it go, so she decided that perhaps sleep was the best medicine for her problem. Wrapping herself in a cocoon of sheets and blankets, Raven closed her eyes and prayed for sleep.

* * *

_He hadn't planned on raping her. Truly, he hadn't. But, after the events of today, he needed to bury his fury somewhere…or should he say, in some_one_. It had surprised him to find a young girl standing outside the mall, obviously mad. Even from his truck he could tell that she was pretty. Her long, red-blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail with a darling white ribbon tied into a bow. Her skin was tan against the white of her dress, and, before he grabbed his tools, felt the desire wash across him. _

_As he got out of his truck, he noticed the way she stiffened, staring at him. _Well, _he thought himself, _this should turn out to be interesting. _He grinned beneath his mask, twirling the white rose between his fingers. _

_She said something to the person on the other line as he approached. As he neared her, the young girl bolted, dropping her cell phone. She skidded to a halt, pounding on the front doors of the mall, but, finding them lock, let out a string of curses. He chuckled. So young to have such foul language. _

_He watched her run to the side of the building, and snickered. He knew that there was a dead end around the side. Poor thing. Her fear must have her mind clouded. He stood at the entrance of the alleyway, his lips quirked. _

_She slammed a fist against the brick, letting out a howl of anger and fear. She took a shuddering breath, and turned. _

_"I'll fight you with every ounce of strength I have, you bastard." Taken aback at the fire in the girl's blue eyes, he stared, before throwing back his head and laughing. "My dear girl, what a spirit you have. I know I'll enjoy you."_

_"Let's see if you get the chance." Never before had he met a girl with such fierceness. Most of his victims cowered away from him, knowing what was to come, and though the fear was evident in her eyes and body, she stood her ground. He couldn't help but admire her. _

_As he walked toward her, she stood still, her fist clenched and eyes narrowed. He felt the heat of desire as she flinched at the large stiletto he pulled from the sheath at his side. He heard her breath catch in her throat, but still she stayed, waiting for him. _

_Knowing he could take his time, the White Rose Killer chuckled. But suddenly, she moved quickly, ramming her shoulder into his stomach like she was on the football team and knocking him to the ground. He was shocked but for a moment. He grabbed her ankle as she tried to run past him. She hit the ground hard on her stomach, grunting as her chin made contact with concrete. Making his move, the White Rose killer shoved his dagger into the girl's calf, slicing her so deeply that he felt his knife hit bone. She screamed as he sliced her from knee to ankle. Lust surged through him as blood pored from the deep wound onto his hand. He laughed. _

_Suddenly, she twisted, using her uninjured foot to kick his across the side of his head. White dots blurred his vision as she scrambled up, collapsing once as her wounded leg gave out on her. He could hear her sobs of pain as he regained his feet. With her mutilated leg, she was slow, having to resort to limping and supporting her weight against the wall. He caught up with her._

_He shoved her against the wall hard, his anger rising to the surface. "You little bitch."_

_Her hair had fallen from the band and fell across his arm as he slid his hands down her petite body. She didn't scream, but kept her eyes closed and teeth clenched. Her breath came in ragged gasps as he lifted her skirt. Suddenly, she started to say something in a language he had never heard before. Latin, maybe? Greek? He didn't know, but what ever it was, it was lovely coming from her. _

_He almost couldn't take the excitement as he stared to pull off her underwear. "Don't worry," he whispered against her ear as he worked on his belt, "it won't last long." He grinned as sobs finally wracked her small body. _

_All of the sudden, he heard the squeal of tires. His head snapped up as a black Mustang barreled into the parking lot. It spun before a tall man climbed out and was racing towards them, screaming out, "Harley!"_

_The White Rose killer cursed, and quickly grabbed a fistful of the girl's hair. "I'm not through with you yet, Harley Waylin." With all the strength he could muster, the White Rose Killer struck her, sending her sprawling onto the hard pavement. _

_He had to get away. There was no way in hell he was going to be caught, and this young bastard was heading right for him at amazing speed. The White Rose Killer pulled out his trusty revolver, and fired. The man cursed as the bullet grazed his shoulder, but he was still racing toward him. . The White Rose Killer fired again, this time his bullet hitting the man's thigh. The young man bent over in pain, but he guessed from the way the young man ran to his victim that he wasn't hurt too bad. Damn. The White Rose Killer hopped into his car and slammed on the gas, darting from the scene. He slammed a fist down against his steering wheel. Jesus, how many girls were going to get away from him?_

_

* * *

_

Raven bolted up in bed, screaming. Burring her face in her hands while her body shook, Raven tried to control her breathing. Harley, oh God, Harley. Was she okay? Had it already happen? Was it going to happen? Oh God.

She heard the pounding on her door, the curses, and watched Beast Boy burst into her room, his hair disheveled from sleep.

"Raven?" He was on her bed instantly, holding her against him while she shook. She didn't cry, no, but she desperately wanted to. She couldn't ruin everything by collapsing an entire building because of her emotions.

"What happened, Rae? What did you see?"

Desperately trying to catch her breath, Raven managed, "Harley."

"Harley? He attacked Harley? Is she okay? Did you see it? Do you know if she's alright?"

Beast Boy pulled Raven into his lap, where she curled up into a little ball, her head against his neck. She breathed in the cool, clean sent of him as she tried to fight back the tears. The lamp beside her bed cracked. She started to draw away from him, but he held her closer.

"It's alright, Rae. Just…let 'em out."

"I can't," she said monotonously.

"I hate when you do this to yourself, Rae. Holding in emotions is killer on the mind."

"Please, Beast Boy. I don't want to talk. Just…hold me." He was surprised at first, but regained his senses.

"Alright." Stroking her still-wet hair, Beast Boy scooted back slowly until his back was pressed against the headboard. An hour later, when Raven was snuggled against him in her sleep, Beast Boy leaned his head back, staring at the shadows on the ceiling.

It was still hard to believe that he, Beast Boy, had actually…done _that_ to Raven. Since he had known he was in love with her, he had wanted to give her immense pleasure. But knowing that the only pleasure he could give her was leaving her alone, he resorted to pleasuring her in his mind, in dreams. Earlier, he had been so scared, that he guessed his mind got the better of him. One the way back to the apartment, he had been deciding what he should do. Finally get a backbone and do what he had wanted to do for a while, or be a coward and run away from his problems. Believe it or not, he had chosen the backbone and had done it.

He had known that she was shocked, thanks to the way she acted at first, but later, as pleasure started to build up, she became… well, lets just say she didn't act like her monotonous-self.

Feeling his arm go to sleep, Beast Boy slowly slid down until his back was pressed against the cool sheet. Adjusting Raven so that she was spooned against his right side, Beast Boy flexed his left hand to get some feeling into it.

Raven groaned, her eyelids fluttering open. Beast Boy froze, watching as she stretched.

She glanced up at him, her eyes cloudy with sleep. "Hi."

He couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face. "Howdy." There was just something so great, so heartwarming, in waking up with Raven in his arms. God, it was almost sick how much he truly loved her.

Falling out of her never-ending façade, Raven threw her leg over his, her slim hand resting against his rock-hard stomach. The warmth of her hand soaked through his shirt and he bit back a groan. Why did he have to have such raging hormones?

"Beast Boy?"

"Hmm?" He closed his eyes, resting his head against hers, inhaling her sweet scent.

"If…the time ever came…would you want to…to make love to me?"

Beast Boy's eyes snapped open. What the…where did that come from?

"Er, Rae, that's a really imporant question—"

"Please, Beast Boy. Just tell me." She rose up to look at him, leaning across his chest, her hair pooling low on his stomach. "I need to know if you think I'm…attractive enough for someone…_you_…to want to be with me…like that." She sighed at the shock in his eyes, and, to hide her mortification at asking something so personal, laid her head against his chest, not even looking at him. Thankfully, he stroked her hair. "I know it's farfetched to ask something like this, but…I just…it's just…I've never…felt attractive before. No one has ever paid me any attention, except you, but you could only do it because you…feel pity or something…"

"Raven—"

She went on, ignoring him completely. "I don't care if you say no, but I really need to know if anyone would want me…like that. I know I'm not pretty, or slim, or tall like Starfire, but is there anything even remotely attractive about me? Would anyone want to have me like that?"

"Raven—"

She tried to cut him off again, but he turned her around and silenced her with a finger. "Raven, listen to me. If you really want my opinion, you're the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. Star's pretty, yes, but she can't hold a candle to you." She smiled shyly at him, her pale cheeks flushed a brilliant red.

"And about me wanting to make love to you…" Her heart seemed to skip a beat as he grinned at her. "I wouldn't touch you the way I have if I didn't want you. I have for awhile, Raven. I'm more attracted to you than anyone I have ever met."

She bit her lip. "Even Terra?"

He smiled. "Even Terra."

She did something he never though he would see. She grinned. "Well, then. That made my day." She laid her head against his bare chest again, this time watching him. Her face suddenly turned serious.

"Beast Boy…?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you wait for me?"

He thought he knew what she meant, but he had to make sure. "Wait for you how?"

She swallowed hard. "Wait for me to…give myself to you."

He knew his face heated. "Raven…"

"I would just feel so much more comfortable if you were my first."

He couldn't think of anything to say, so he settled with, "Uh…"

"I've never been so emotionally close to anyone in my life, not even with Robin, and…even if things don't work out between us, I would feel so better about myself if you were the one to have me first. But, I'm not ready. It might…be awhile."

Beast Boy couldn't control his heartbeat. She wanted him to be her first? _Him_?

"Rae, this isn't like you."

She rose up, her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

"It's just…you're actually telling me that you want _me_ to be your first ."

She gave him a _'and_' look. "Yeah. So?"

He looked at her incredulously. "At the tower, you couldn't stand me."

She didn't deny it, which had him glaring. "Yeah, well, this is now, and, uh, well, if anyone is going to touch me intimately now, it's going to be you."

He lifted up on his elbows to study her. "Rae, you're giving up a lot here to me. Like, your innocence. I mean, this is a big thing, You're, er, _virginity_."

"You make it sound like a bad word or something."

"Raven, this is huge! I mean, you're like my best friend, and, er, taking…_that_…will change, like, everything. I mean, that's like…wow."

"Beast Boy, you don't have to—"

"Are you crazy? Do you know how long I waited for this? Well, it'll be a little while longer because you're not ready, but, well, yeah."

Though her face remained composed, her eyes were a brilliant shade of amethyst. "You haven't answered my, question, Beast Boy."

"Refresh my memory."

She sighed, stretching out her body and entwining her long legs with his. "Will you wait for me?"

"Yeah, Rae. I will."

Her lips curved softly. "Thank you, Beast Boy."

He sighed, resting his head against hers as he drifted off to sleep. "No prob, Rae."

* * *

"Dad, if you don't stop pacing, I'll go cross-eyed." Waylin glanced over at his daughter. It was three o'clock in the morning, rain beating down against the hospital roof. Colt sat in a chair beside Harley's bed, elbows rested against his knees, his fist pressed against his mouth. He wouldn't look at Harley or her father. Guilt weighed down on him like bricks.

"Harley, you were almost raped and killed and you expect me to stop pacing? It _took one hundred and fifty-three stitches to sew up your leg, and you want me to stop pacing_? That bastard knew who you were and you _expect me to stop pacing_?"

Harley groaned, one, because of the horrible pain in her leg, and two, the headache her dad was causing. "I'm tired, dad. And, why are you still here? I thought visiting hours were over?"

Harley's mom, who had just gotten of duty, spoke up. "They are, but considering the circumstances, they're being lenient." Her mother sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching out to lightly touch the stitches beneath her chin where Harley had hit the concrete. Her cheek was red and bruised from where the White Rose Killer had hit her, and her eyes were starting to become heavy from the pain killers.

"It's a damn good thing you showed up when you did, Colt," Waylin said softly, patting his back. "If you hadn't of shown up…" He trailed off, his eyes staring at nothing. "I don't even want to think about it."

Colt flinched. "But it's all my fault."

Waylin eased a hip against the chair. "How many time do I have to tell you, Colt. It's not your fault. You were late, yes, but you showed up in time."

"But what if I hadn't?"

"It's didn't happen, kid, so don't worry about it." Mrs. Waylin said, softly patting her daughter's leg. "But…what are we to do?"

Waylin sighed, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palm. "I thought about that, and…I think I know what has to happen. We can't keep her at home, because that bastard might know where we live, so…there's only one solution."

"And what would that be?" His wife asked, her hands folded in her lap.

"I can't tell you. It's…private business."

"When it concerns my daughter, it becomes my business." His wife stood up, all five foot of her, her dark blue eyes narrowed. "Tell me."

Waylin sighed. "I will when I talk to Twain. But for now, we need to get some rest. I don't want her to stay here alone, so—"

"I can stay, Mr. Waylin. Mom already said that I could stay here as long as I wanted, and I didn't have to go to school tomorrow. I'd be more than happy to stay."

Waylin and his wife exchanged looks. "Alright. That's fine. But I'll be here early in the morning."

Colt nodded. He walked Harley's parents to their car, his hands shoved in his pockets. Waylin leaned across his wife to tell Colt, "Take care of her, Colt."

"I will, Mr. Waylin." Colt watched them drive off, and the minute they were inside, bolted back to Harley's room. She was leaning against the wall, staring at the ceiling. Hearing him, she smiled. "Hi."

He said nothing, just walked toward her. Unsure of what he was doing, Harley raised an eyebrow. "What are you—"

Colt leaned down and kissed her for the first time.

* * *

With a groan, Robin chunked off his covers, and sat on the edge, rubbing his head. He was still riddled with guilt. He could still feel the sobs wrack her body, felt the way she pulled away from him emotionally. He had gone to her apartment earlier, and, God, she had been so sweet, so kind, as if nothing had happened, as if he had never ripped out her heart. But he could tell from the way her usually bright eyes were dull, that he had truly hurt her. He had taken away something, something that she would never get back. Her innocence. No, not her physical innocence, but the innocence that truly mattered. Her outlook on life had changed completely. She had always thought that the world was good and kind, without hurt, without hate. But now he had changed that for her. She knew what real pain was.

And he had been the one that caused it. He never intended to hurt her. Truly. But this was something that couldn't be stopped. Yes, he could have prevented kissing her, leading her on like he had. But she had already loved him. He knew that for a fact.

Robin groaned. "I can't take this anymore," he mumbled to himself. Hopping up, he started to rummage through his notebook. After a tiny search, he found what he was looking for. Rebecca McDouglas's number. He had her in Calculus, and while he had been working on his work, she had leaned over his desk, dropped a piece of paper on his desk, and whispered her 'proposal' in his ear. Yeah, so she was a tad bit…slutty, but she would do that job.

Unfolding it, Robin grabbed the cordless next to his bed and dialed the number. She answered groggily, and Robin finally realized what time it was.

"Sorry, to wake you Rebecca."

"No problem..." He heard her yawn. "Is this…Grayson?" Suddenly, her voice sharpened.

"Yeah. It's me." Staring at the wall as he stomach clenched with guilt, Robin said, "So, does you offer still stand?"

* * *

At eight o'clock the next morning, Starfire walked into the hospital, stopping once at the front desk to ask what room Mallory was in. Taking a deep breath, Starfire opened the door. Not a second later, a red bundle launched itself into her arms.

Laughing softly, Starfire adjusted Christian on her hip.

"Christian, it's not polite to throw yourself into people's arms," came a weak voice from the bed. Mallory looked so pale lying against the bright white sheets. Her leg was wrapped in gauze with a spilt from thigh to ankle, and the skin above the gauze was bruised.

"How are you?" Starfire asked, taking the seat Wyatt offered her. Christian slid down to her knee and started to bounce. She grabbed the little boy's waist and bounced her foot up and down. Christian squealed, satisfied.

Mallory sighed. "I've felt better."

Wyatt cocked a hip against the window seal, watching everything quietly.

Starfire glanced down at her leg. "How's the leg?"

Mallory sat up, grimacing. "Not good. The doctors' say that I damaged muscles and a few tendons, so it will be a miracle if I walk without a limp. I'll have a permanent scar that not even surgery will fix and I still have more operations to come. It took four-hundred and ninety-eight stitches to get everything back together, and I had to have a blood transfusion. In other words, I'll be stuck in a wheelchair for a couple of months." She bit her lip. "I don't know what I'll do about Christian. There's no way I can keep up with his energy. My parents are going out of town on a business trip, Ms. Hallowell is getting too old, and I can't put him in a daycare…"

Starfire glanced down at Christian, who was still happily bouncing on her knee. Starfire took a deep breath. "I…could watch him for a while. I won't be going to school, either, for another week or so, and that will give you time to find a place for him."

Mallory's eyebrow's drew together. "Rose, that would be too much to ask of you. Christian is nothing but a ball of energy. He's always getting into things, and—"

"Mallory, I would be pleased to do it."

She groaned. "If you're sure…Wyatt, hand me a piece of paper and a pen." He did as instructed. She took the paper and started to scribble things down.

"Let Wyatt take you to my house and get his things…" she said slowly, still writing twenty minutes later. Christian had lost interest in bouncing and was now playing with Wyatt's brown wristband.

Mallory handed the paper to Star. "This is a list of the things you'll need to get, including toys, diapers, bottles, things like that. I'll make another list of what food he should take and things like that. Alright?"

Starfire nodded as was about to get up when Mallory said, "Wait! Don't forget his car-seat!"

Starfire smiled. "I won't."

* * *

Hours later, Starfire walked out of the elevator at her apartment, a sleeping toddler in her arms. He was still on her hip with his dark head lying on her shoulder. Just as she made it to Robin's apartment door, it opened and a blonde sauntered out, wearing _his _shirt. She was giggling as she walked out. Starfire caught a glimpse of a bare chest and a dark head leaning against the door.

The blonde bimbo pulled on Robin's arm and gave him a long, sultry kiss. Against the girls' mouth, Robin grinned. What was left of Star's shattered heart crumbled.

"Wanna try that again later?" She asked seductively, trailing a manicured finger down Robin's stomach.

"Oh yeah. Defiantly."

She grinned, walking away from him. She glanced at Starfire as she passed. "What the hell are you looking at, Amazon?"

Starfire said nothing. The blonde bimbo snorted, walking to the elevator while swaying her hips. With no emotion on her face, Starfire turned back around, only to find Robin starring at her, his eyes dark with guilt.

"Star…"

Starfire pushed down the pain, and busied herself by smoothing a dark curl from Christian's bandaged forehead.

"I am to keep Mallory's son for awhile." She didn't look at him, couldn't. Thankful that her voice was dull, she continued. "His things are in the car, so, if you would, could you…watch him while I get it?"

"Yeah," he said softly. When she handed Christian to him, his fingers brushed hers. She flinched. Robin noticed it and pushed down the ball in his throat.

She turned to head back to the elevator, but his soft voice stopped her. "She doesn't mean anything to me, Star."

She took a shuddering breath. "I'm sure she doesn't." Robin closed his eyes tightly as he's best friend walked away from him.

* * *

Yeah, I know. Not very action-filled. I know Raven is not acting like herself, but she was, for one, tired, and two, in emotional turmoil. Anyway, er, well…guess I have nothing else to say…so…Tootles. Until next time!


	21. Chapter Twenty: January 13th

A shrill scream pierced the air. Starfire jerked up in bed, her heart pounding. The screams continued, and it took a brief moment for her to realize that it was Christian. Scrambling out of bed, Star rushed to the next room where his crib lay. She tripped over countless toys and cursed in Tameran each time. Finally, pounding feet and all, she made it to his crib.

He lay on his back, screaming, his face scrunched with pain. Reaching over the bars, she scooped him up in her arms, laying his head on his shoulder. His cry's were murderer on her eardrums, but she was too worried about Mallory's little boy to care. She heard someone fumbling with the front door, and realized with a groan that Robin still had a key.

Unsure of what to do, Starfire rubbed the little boy's back, rocking him back a forth. Mallory had told her earlier that he had bouts of stomach aches and she would just have to wait it out.

"Starfire, what's—" Robin ran into the room, his eyes worried and his clothes and hair tousled.

"Nothing is wrong." Christian grabbed a curl and yank hard. Starfire grimaced.

"Is there anything I can—"

"No." She turned her back to him, still rocking back and forth.

Robin bit his lip, shoving his hands into his sweats. "Maybe if you rock him in the rocking chair, he'll go back to sleep."

Saying nothing, Starfire breezed past him, grabbing Christian's soft baby blanket on the way. Christian was still crying, his sobs pitiful and hoarse. Her heart broke at the child's pain.

Starfire sat down quickly, adjusting Christian she his head was cradled against her shoulder. His tears soaked through her large gray T-shirt.

Robin stood beside the chair uncomfortably. "There's a heating pad in his diaper bag. Would you mind getting it for me?" Starfire asked, using her foot to rock the chair. The child's sobs had not lessened, and if anything, the pain had gotten worse.

As Robin plug the blanket up, Starfire wracked her brain for a solution. Wait. When she was younger and sick, her nanny had sung to her. Usually, it had worked.

Softly, Starfire started to hum. Robin glanced up from the heating pad as Starfire hummed a beautiful, haunting tune. Though Christian's sobs continued, they were easing slowly. Starfire kept rocking, leaning her head against the chair.

Forgetting Robin was there, Starfire started to sing softly to the little boy. Her words were in Tameranian. Robin paused just to listen. It was unlike all the boisterous music he had heard from her. This was beautiful, her voice soft and light. Shaking out of his revere, Robin pressed his palm against the heating pad. Finding it hot, Robin carefully slid it under the boy's stomach. His finger's brushed against her and her startled eyes lifted to meet his. Thankful that she didn't flinch, Robin offered a small smile. She glanced away from him, rubbing the little boy's back soothingly.

His sobs quieted slowly. His breath would hitch once in awhile, but soon, he was sound asleep. Robin stood there, silently, unsure if he should stay or go.

Robin watched as she slowly levitated off the chair, so not to wake the sleeping child. Starfire tried to lay him back down in his crib, but the minute his back touched his mattress, he screamed. Quickly, Starfire picked him. He stopped crying.

Starfire groaned. She was so tired, yet there was no way he would sleep in his crib. Maybe, if she was careful, he could sleep in her bed. Starfire bit her lip as she floated to her room. She was aware that Robin followed, but tried her hardest to ignore him.

Starfire crawled onto her bed, still holding the child. At first, she didn't know how to lower him without waking him. She bit her lip again. Suddenly, Robin was there, helping her lower the child. Unfortunately, when Robin pulled his hand from under the little boy's head, he screamed. Robin quickly slid his hand back under the boy, and Christian quieted. Both teenagers groaned.

Slowly, both of them moved their hand. When Christian made no sound, they let out a breath. Then, Christian wailed. Panicked, they each laid a hand on the boy's stomach. He was silent.

"Great," Robin muttered under his breath, using his free hand to shove his hair out of his eyes.

"What do we do," Starfire asked, running her tongue along her bottom lip. His eyes on her mouth, Robin answered, "I have no idea."

Starfire sighed. "We could…lie down…" Starfire watched the unease wash across his handsome face and answered quickly, "I do not wish to do it either, but I cannot stand here all night. I happen to be very tired."

Contemplating the situation, Robin ruffled his already unruly hair. "I guess that's all we can do."

Starfire swallowed hard as she lay next to Christian. There was no way she would be able to sleep with Robin lying not inches from her_. Calm down, Starfire. Remember that he feels nothing for you. You are not important to him. _That calmed her heartbeat immediately. Christian yawned loudly, and flipped his little body until his head rested against Robin's stomach and the rest of his body lay against Starfire. It brought the two uncomfortable teens' closer together. Now, there was no way they could move now.

"Next time he throws a fit, I'll make sure I stay in my apartment."

Starfire felt a sensation she rarely ever felt: anger. "Is it so hard to be around me?"

"I didn't say that—"

"It's the way you act, Robin. I might not have been on earth for long, but I know when you want to leave. Go ahead. I can take care of him myself. I do not need you."

"You want me to go? Fine." Carefully, Robin sat up. Starfire followed him. Christian was sprawled against their laps, but still sleeping soundly.

"You are the one who wishes to leave."

"Yeah, for a good reason."

"Aha! See? You do not wish to be around me."

"Yeah, because I'm still attracted to you and I'm afraid I might do something I'll regret." Starfire opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came. She let out a surprised breath and closed her mouth. What were you to stay about that?

"I can't just get over my attraction to you in a couple of days, Starfire."

She took a deep breath. "Oh…you are attracted to me…?"

Robin sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. "I thought you knew that?"

Adjusting Christian, Starfire laid back down on the bed. "I thought that you only saw me as a friend."

"I do."

"Oh." She gave a sad sigh. "So…who was that bim—blonde girl?"

Robin glanced over his shoulder with a grin. "You were going to say 'bimbo' weren't you?"

"No," she said quickly. Robin chuckled. "Alright. But she's…really…she's just…"

"A bed buddy?" Starfire offered innocently.

Robin turned to glare at her. "Where did you learn that?"

Starfire stretched, actually comfortable around him. Yes, she still hurt, badly at that, but at least she still had him. It might not be the way she wanted, but it was better than not having him at all.

"Beast Boy said it when Cyborg was talking about Bumblebee. I later asked Raven what she meant, and she said that a 'bed buddy' was—"

"Yeah, okay, I get the point." Starfire rested her elbows against the bed and leaned her head against her palm. She gave him a soft smile. Robin's heart lurched in his chest. _Damn, this girl has some serious power over me…hell, she always has. Probably always will. _

With a sigh, Robin's mimicked her position, facing her. The movement woke Christian up. He glanced at them with sleepy gray eyes, crawled to them, and plopped down between them.

Starfire glanced down at the little boy with a smile. Without thinking, she mumbled, "I wonder if I shall ever be a good mother."

Her eyes widened suddenly as her gaze flew to Robin. He looked a little taken aback, but other than that, he was calm. "With the way you baby the rest of us, I'd say you'll be one helluva mother."

"Maybe." Weird. The pain in her heart seemed to have increased twofold at her little outburst. Maybe it was because she knew that Robin would never be the father of her children, that some other man would. It was distressing, knowing that another man would have to touch her to create a child. Would it be possible for her to do? She had only thought of Robin in years, but could another man actually take his place? _He would have to_, Starfire thought gloomily. _If I ever plan on becoming a mother, I'll have to love the man that will help create them. I cannot have a child out of wedlock. It is immoral on my planet, and though I no longer reside there, the law still applies down here. Why am I perturbing over this now? I am still young. I do not need to worry myself over the future when I am still living in the present. Yes, one day I will let another man touch me, but now, I shall live a life a chastity. Thank goodness my life does not revolve around the opposite sex. _

Christian mewled softly, his little fist clenching in Starfire's shirt. He scooted closer to her warmth, burrowing his little head in her chest. Starfire chuckled softly.

"He must be cold," Robin said softly, and slowly stood up. Christian didn't notice. Robin placed a large blanket over them that he found in her closet and smiled softly.

"I guess I should head on back to my apartment since he doesn't noticed I'm gone."

Starfire nodded. "Alright. Goodnight." Robin leaned over Christian to kiss her softly. It was meant as a friendly kiss, but to it felt more like a lover's kiss to both teens. Robin groaned softly as he pulled back from her. "Things won't be the same between us, will it?"

Starfire swallowed unexpected tears. "No. I do not think it will."

* * *

Raven was aware of two things when she woke the next morning: first, the pounding on her front door and two, the rock hard body she was sprawled across. It didn't take her long to remember about the conversation she had last night and when her mind lost the fuzziness of sleep, she bolted up, her face heated with humiliation. Had she actually asked…if Beast Boy would want to make love to her? Raven groaned, throwing off the covers. Beside her, Beast Boy slept soundly.

Finger-combing her hair, Raven padded to her door, her emotion's in serious turmoil. The pounding continued. "Jesus Christ, I'm coming. If you'd just hold you're horses, I won't have to sucker-punch you when I finally get to the door!"

"Let me in, Ms. Moody."

Raven froze when she recognized the voice. "Twain? What the hell are you doing here at," Raven glanced at the clock hanging in the living room and groaned, "at seven-thirty in the morning?"

"I would explain it if you would let me in. This is important business and I don't have time for your childish games."

"Childish," Raven snapped as she jerked open the door. "I was trying to get here, thank you very much. The only on childish here is you, with you constant knocking—Harley? What are you doing here?" Harley stood at her front door, balancing on crutches. She looked pale, but other than that, she was fine. Well, if you didn't count the bruise on her cheek, or the bandage under her chin, or the cast that covered her leg from foot to thigh.

"Uh, hi." It didn't take a genius to tell the girl was confused. Hell, Raven was baffled. "Er, I think I missed something here."

Twain breezed past her like he owned the place. "Raven, I'm sure you know who Ms. Harley Waylin is."

"Yeah," Raven said slowly, studding Colt and Captain Waylin helping Harley into her apartment.

"Who's Raven?" Harley asked innocently, only to be shushed by her father.

"Also, from past occurrences, I'm sure you witnessed her attack."

"Er, yeah, I was going to tell you about it later, but—"

Twain ignored her. "It seems that the White Rose killer—"

"Knows who she is, yes, I know that. But why is she here?"

Twain glared at her. Raven noticed the black smudges under his eyes. Obviously, the tough detective had not gotten much sleep in the past week or so.

"If you would allow me to explain, Ms. Raven. Since you are undercover and no one has any idea that you are a titan, Ms. Waylin will stay with you."

"Whoa, did you just say that she was a titan? As in the _Teen Titans_? The titans that fight crime and cover my brother's wall. That titans?" Harley was beyond incredulous.

"Harley," Waylin snapped. She flinched as her father glared at her. Colt helped her into a chair, leaning her crutches against the wall, and sitting down beside her. Without thinking, he laid a hand against her knee.

"Dude, what going on? Can't a guy get any rest around here?" Much to Raven's horror, Beast Boy walked out of her room, all rumbled and sexy, his pajama bottoms handing low on his hips.

Twain glanced at Raven, then at Beast Boy, then back to Raven. Raven couldn't help it. She whimpered in humiliation.

"Oh. Guess I interrupted something." Beast Boy blushed deeply, running a hand through his hair.

"Personally," Twain muttered, "I don't want to know." Shaking his head as if trying to rid unwanted images, Twain continued, "As I said, because the White Rose Killer knows who Harley is and you are both Teen Titans, Harley will be under your protection. She will live with you, Raven, and it will be your responsibility to make sure she is safe. She will be moving in later this evening, so I suggest you find an available room. She will stay with you until we have to White Rose in custody. Understand?"

"Yes," Raven mumbled, still humiliated that everyone had seen Beast Boy walk out of her room. Now, everyone would think that they were lovers. _Hell, we will be one of these days._ Raven's heart lurched in her chest.

"So, Harley will be back at Five o'clock sharp. I suggest you get this place cleaned up." Raven glared at Twain's retreating back before her gaze landed on Harley. The girl was staring at Raven scrupulously. "So…you're Raven from the Teen Titans?"

Raven nodded slowly. "So," Harley motioned to Beast Boy with her head, "I'm guessing that would be Beast Boy."

"Yep," Beast Boy said. "The one and only."

Colt was staring at nothing in particular. He was obviously shocked. "I'm guessing Robin and Starfire are also undercover."

"Yeah, they are." Raven shrugged a shoulder.

Harley shook her head. "I knew you had always seemed familiar, but I didn't know who out reminded me of. Guess I know now."

Raven nodded. "Look, I'm sorry about all this. I didn't know they were just going to throw me on you like this. I promise I won't be a burden."

Raven tried to smile. "It's fine."

They watched Harley leave. Raven was about to shut the door when Cyborg burst in, his breathing heavy.

"Damn, Cyborg. What's your problem." Before Raven could utter a single word, Cyborg lifted her up by her arms and brought her face close to his.

"I have a serious problem."

Anger building at him tossing her around like a doll, Raven bit out, "What?"

Cyborg's human eye was filled with fear. "I just asked Bumblebee to marry me."

* * *

Again, not much action, but, like, who cares? Lol, just kidding. Well, I don't have much of anything to ramble on about, so…Tootles! Dude, I can't believe summer is here! So totally cool. 


	22. Chapter Twenty One: January 13th

Damnit all to hell and back! I had chapter twenty-one all typed and ready, and went to open it, and the stupid disk won't let me! This is the second damn time this has happened. I have no idea why my computer has such a grudge against me, but now, I had to rewrite this from scratch. That's why it took me so long to update. I. Hate. Technology. (Actually, I'd probably die without technology.) And, anyways, I took a large old chunk outta my foot thanks to a nail. Stupid nail. Stupid technology. (C**rosses arms and curses technology and nails to the pits of hell)** Oh, and, uh, sorry about the whole eye color thing dealing with Robin, but I have never read the comics or anything. I only know about the TT on Cartoon network. I just picked a purtty color and wrote. But I'll remember that one my next story and all the ones to come.

Anyone other than me notice I never put a disclaimer up? Well, all you know there is no way I own the titans, so there's no reason for me to. So…won't.

* * *

"Married? Cy, are you serious?" Beast Boy let out an incredulous breath. "Damn, Cy. Congrats." Taking in Cyborg's wide, horrified gaze, Beast Boy added, "I think." 

In his scared state, Cyborg dropped Raven so suddenly that she wasn't prepared to catch herself. Thankfully, she tumbled over the couch…but still landed on the floor. Beast Boy laughed hard at her not-so-graceful fall. Raven threw her hair back and gave Beast Boy a death glare. He quieted instantly.

"What am I gonna do?" Cyborg gave a pitiful whimper, sinking down to the floor with a clank.

Raven picked herself up, only forgiving Cyborg because he was so pathetic at the moment. "First off, try calming down. Would you like some food or something?"

"Can't eat. Can't drink. Can't think."

Raven sighed, gracefully lowering herself to the ground in front of the scared cyborg. "Come on, Cyborg. Take deep, even breaths, and tell us what happened." Raven and Beast Boy bit back a smile as he took an over-exaggerated breath, and let it out the same way he had taken it in.

"Better now?" Raven asked softly.

He thought a moment, then said, "No."

Raven tilted her head. "Would you care to try meditating to help?"

Like a lost puppy, Cyborg turned pitiful eyes to her. Beast Boy couldn't help but grin. It was wrong, yes, but Cyborg look so forlorn. Leaning back on his palms, feet stretched out, Beast Boy watched as Raven tried to teach Cy how to meditate.

"Alright, Cyborg. Now, follow my movements exactly." He nodded furiously, trying to mimic her. It was not exactly working out for him. Raven placed each foot on a different calf, cracking open one eye to watch Cyborg's movements. He was trying to get only one foot like that, and it was not working. She sighed. "Just sit Indian-style, Cyborg. Now, close you're eyes and take a deep breath. That's it. Now, just…think happy thoughts." Not the way she did it, but Cyborg was one to crack jokes, and telling him to go deep within his own mind would set off non-stop cracks about how she sounded like a physiatrist.

Raven cracked open an eye. "Feel better?"

"Wow. Actually, I do." Opening his eyes, Cyborg groaned. "I still can't believe I asked Bee to marry me."

"Well, do you love her?"

"Yes, but—"

"Can you picture yourself without her?"

"No, but—"

"Do you want to be with her the rest of your life?"

"Yes, but—"

"Cyborg," Beast Boy groaned. "What's the problem?"

"It's just…think about it. When I marry her, I'll have to leave the Teen Titans. I can't live there with her if I'm going to start a new life."

Raven and Beast Boy visibly flinched. Cy was right. He would have to move out, and the famous team of five would be knocked down to four. Once, they had gone without Cyborg in fights, and had lost horribly. When things returned to normal and the White Rose Killer was behind bars, could they function without him?

"And Bee is so much more mature than I am. I mean, come on, I still watch cartoons!" Beast Boy bit back a grin. "Yeah, well, so do I."

"Beast Boy, you're the most immature guy I know. Not helping matters any." Beast Boy stiffened at Cyborg's insult and his dark green eyes narrowed.

"But Bee's the type to want…want…kids." Cyborg visibly paled. "I can't raise kids! Hell, I am still a kid!"

"Yes, well, why don't you just worry about what is going on now. Yes, she will probably want kids, but now, just worry about if you want to go through with this." Raven said calmly.

"Of course I'm gonna go through this! I love Bee more than anything, and there is nothing I would rather do than marry her. I have never met a girl that loved me back, and I want to be with her, kids or no kids. If I have to leave the titans, then so be it. I love her and that's that!" Cyborg crossed his arms over his chest and let out a huff of breath.

Beast Boy raised an eyebrow. "Cy, you just solved your own problems, you know."

He blinked. "I did?"

Beast Boy grinned. "You just listed off every reason why you shouldn't worry about this. It's normal to be scared, but once it happens, it'll just come naturally."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you just the voice of reason."

Beast Boy gave her a smug look. "More attractive then the stupid goofball I was, huh?"

Cyborg forgot his own problems just long enough to stare at them. "I missed something here."

"It's nothing. Just Beast Boy's imagination working up." Raven gave him a death glare. He shrugged. "Anyway, so, what are you gonna do?"

"What do you mean, what am I gonna do? About what?"

"Bumblebee."

"Oh, right."

"So, have you given her a ring yet?"

Cyborg's eyes widened. "No."

"No?" Beast Boy lifted an eyebrow. "All you did was ask her to marry you?"

"It's kinda complicated." Cyborg wringed his hands, suddenly uncomfortable. Raven and Beast Boy exchanged looks. "We have tons of time on our hands, Cyborg," Raven said with something akin to amusement lacing her monotonous voice.

He let out a puff of breath. "Well, uh, you see…uh…we

were…er…um…occupied, and…uh…"

"Occupied? How so?" Beast Boy grinned as Cyborg blushed. "That's my business, not yours. Now, are you gonna interrupt me every two seconds, or do you wanna hear?"

"Fine," Beast Boy said, pouting.

"Anyways, we were _occupied_, and Bee said something that I guess struck a cord in me and before I knew it, I was on one knee, proposing. It's kinda weird, 'cause I've never seen Bee cry before. I mean, she wasn't sobbing or anything, but her eyes were all watering and stuff. I told her that I didn't have a ring or anything, but she said she didn't care. She literally threw herself at me, and told me yes. It wasn't like in the movies, where they repeat yes like over and over until you just want to hit 'em, but it was, truly, the best word I have ever heard in my life. She even told me she loved me. Dude, I don't care how romantic I sound or crap, but that is the best feeling in the world, to have someone tell you that they love you."

He gave a half smile and said quietly, "I would have never thought anyone could love something like me, but Bee does. I asked her why,_ how_, could she love something like me, and she said that there was nothing wrong with me. How could she not love me, she said. It's just, man, it's not even really something you can explain. You know, maybe this won't be so bad. Yeah, I'll leave the titans, but there's more than just fighting crime. I haven't been this happy in a while and if I have to move out, then I will. It won't be like I'm outta ya'lls life forever. Hell, knowing me, I'll build a house right next to the tower. I can still fight with ya'll and all, but it's just…time for me to grow up. We're getting older, and soon, we won't even be teenagers anymore. In a couple of years, our adolescents will be gone. Who knows if the team will still go on. For all we know, they'll find new recruits to become the Teen Titans the minute ya'll turn twenty."

Beast Boy gave a small smile at his best friend. Life without Cyborg living at the tower would be hard, but Cy was right. They were getting older and it was time to grow up. But something Cyborg said made Beast Boy's heart plummet. When they turned twenty, they actually might be replaced, which would mean the team would have to go out in the real world. Beast Boy didn't know if he could do that. Most of his life, he had always had someone there. First his parents, and then the Titans. There was a slim chance that he could make it out in Jump City on his own. What would he do? Where would he go? Would anyone want him? Yes, he was no longer green, but what of the dye wore off, and he was his unusual shade again? Would he be ridiculed because of it when he wasn't a titan any longer? He knew that Raven would forget every thing once they were back at the tower, and he knew he would have to deal with it, but could he survive in the real world, knowing that he would probably never see her again?

"Dude, you okay?" Beast Boy snapped out of his thoughts quickly when Cyborg laid a large, metal hand on his shoulder.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." He cut a glance at Raven who was watching him strangely. "Er, anyways, again, you just solved your own problems. There's nothing to worry about, so…why don't you go…buy her a ring or something. It's kinda a tradition to give a girl a ring."

Cyborg's real eye lit up. "Dude, I can _make_ her a ring. She'd love that. I'm gonna go get started in it right now. I can't wait to see her face when she sees it." Cyborg sat up with a grin. "Thanks for listening."

"No prob. See you later, Cy." He waved and was half way out the door when he turned. "Dude, what are you doing in Raven's apartment with your pj's on?"

Beast Boy cheeks flushed red, as did Raven's, who was busy picking invisible lint off her shirt. "Er…see you later, Cyborg." Beats Boy slammed the door, Cyborg's laughter following him.

* * *

Starfire closed her eyes as Christian splashed his bathwater. He giggled, slapping his palms against the water. She was already drenched completely, but she could care less. 

"After this, do you want to go see your mommy?"

Christian turned bright gray eyes to her. "Really? We can go see mommy?"

Starfire smiled, brushing back a wet strand of hair from the boy's forehead. She had been careful not to get his bandage wet, but with all his splashing, it had been futile. Since they were going to the hospital, it didn't really matter. The doctor's there could change it easily.

Soaping up her hands with Christian's shampoo, Starfire ran it through his hair. He grabbed a toy and started to splash again. Starfire closed one eye and continued her work. Being with Christian was…so easy. Everything just seemed to come natural to her. Which, now, was a very good thing, seeing as she would probably end up with Christian longer than had been planned.

"Why did that man try to kill us?" Starfire's hand froze for a second before she resumed washing his thick hair.

"That is a very good question."

"Did you make him mad?"

Starfire let out a breath. "I do not know."

Christian suddenly stopped splashing, looking over her shoulder. "Is he da one who hurted you?"

Starfire raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Him." Christian pointed over her shoulder. Knowing full and well that Robin was somewhere behind her, Starfire asked, "Why do you ask?"

Christian grabbed a toy boat and floated it around, but he had lost all excitement and now seemed depressed. "'Cause you get the same look mommy gets when she talks about my daddy."

This time, her hands did freeze as she looked down at the little boy. "What look would that be?"

Christian laid his hands on the rim of the tub, turning his little body so he faced her and laid his chin on his hands. "Granny says it's 'cause mommy hurts so bad 'cause my daddy didn't want her. Mommy tries to act happy and all, but Granny says that she'll always hurt. You's got the same look she has when she tries to be happy around me. Dat's what I asked."

Starfire's heart plummeted. Was her pain that obvious that a _child_ could tell? She thought she had hid it well, yet a toddler could see it. Great. It didn't help that Robin was still in the doorway, or hallway, or wherever Christian had spotted him.

Starfire swallowed hard. She didn't say anything to the little boy, just continued to wash his hair. Christian gazed up at her with sad gray eyes. "I hate it when mommy hurts. It makes me hurt too. I don't like it when you hurt, either."

This little boy was so sweet. "You're old for you age, you know that?"

"Dat's what mommy says, too, when I tell 'er that she be better off without 'em."

Starfire blinked back sudden tears. "Maybe she would be."

"Dat's what I tell her. She tell me she don't want him anymore, but she still cries over him. But I don't understand why dat man didn't want 'er. He seemded sad when he was at da hospital wit me."

"Wyatt? Is that who you are talking about?"

"I guess. He said he was my daddy. I hated him for a wong time, 'cause he hurted my mommy so much, but he was kinda cool. He let me play wit his bracelet."

Starfire reached up and grabbed the showerhead, flicking on the water. "Lean your head back." He did as he was told, still talking. Thankfully, he switched topics.

"You gots any kids?"

Starfire smiled. "No."

"You act like a mommy."

"How so?"

"I dunno. I'm not a mommy. But you do the same things my mommy does. She don't ever get mad, and she always plays with me, and gives me treats, and read me stories at night, and sings me to sleep, and stuff. You'd be a good mommy. If I didn't love my mommy so much, I'd say I'd want you to be my mommy, but my mommy's the bestest mommy in the whole world. I guess you can be my second mommy if you want. I won't call you mommy or anyting, but…hey, what am I supposeded to call you?"

Flattered beyond anything she had felt, Starfire smiled softly. "Whatever you want."

"Mommy says I gotsta call people by Mr. or Mrs. or whatever." Christian cut his eyes to her. "You look like someone I know."

Starfire raised an eyebrow. "Who would that be?"

"I dunno. Kinda like the girl from da Teen Titans. Da one with da cool powers that flies and has green light comin' from her eyes and hands. 'Cept you look purrtier that her."

Starfire blinked. Great again. This amazing little boy had already found out who she was, though he just thought she looked like…herself. "And he look like Robin. I like Robin. Robin's cool. So's Beast Boy and Cyborg and Raven. I gotsta big, big, big picture of 'em that mommy bought me for my birfday."

Christian eye's narrowed. "Are you sure you ain't da Teen Titans?"

Starfire quickly glanced over her shoulder, her eyes meeting Robin's. He was leaning against the doorframe, eyebrows scrunched together, arms folded over his muscled chest.

"What do we do_"_, she mouthed, and he shrugged. "Guess we tell him. He's just a little boy. I mean, he won't endanger us or anything."

Starfire looked back at the little boy, who had his arms crossed over his little chest, eyes narrowed, waiting for an answer. Robin walked into the bathroom, and crouched down next to Starfire. He extended his large hand to Christian. "I'm Robin, from the Teen Titans."

Christian stared ay his hand, then at Starfire, before returning to look at Robin. Christian slowly put his hand in Robin's. His hand was so tiny that when he put his hand against Robin's, it was smaller than Robin's palm. Robin shook it gently.

"Whoa," Christian muttered, staring at Robin like he would a hero.

"And I am Starfire." Christian moved his gaze from Robin to Starfire. "I knew it."

Starfire grinned. "Ready to get out and go see your mom?" Christian nodded, still in a shocked daze. Robin grabbed the large white towel from the counter, stood up, and picked the little boy up out of the tub. Wrapping him in a cocoon of terry cloth, Robin picked him up effortlessly. Christian laughed, wrapping his arms around Robin's neck.

Going to Starfire's room, he gently tossed Christian onto the bed. Christian squealed.

Starfire laughed softly, grabbing the toddler's clothes from his bag. Sine Mallory had miraculously potty trained him at such a young age, there was no need for a diaper. Starfire picked the warmest outfit she could; A white undershirt, underwear, a superman sweatshirt, jeans, a heavy jacket, thick socks, boots, and an adorable blue beanie.

As Starfire worked the clothes on the boy, Robin was busy having a who-makes-the-weirdest-face contest with Christian. Starfire laughed at the funny faces both of them made, shaking her head.

Completely bundled up, Starfire worked his boots on his feet. "Robin, would you tie them while I change? I am soak through." Robin glanced up from their game to give her an once-over. She was indeed wet, from her hair, to her shirt, to her jeans. "Alright."

Starfire grabbed clothes from her drawer and disappeared into the bathroom. Christian snatched up his beanie and shoved it on his head. "Why did you hurted her?"

"Who, Starfire?"

Christian nodded, picking at his bandage. "Yeah. Why did you do it?"

Robin's eyebrows drew together. "Kid, that's none of your business."

"Yes it is," Christian argued, his lips protruding into a pout.

Robin couldn't help but chuckle. "You wouldn't understand."

"Wanna bet?"

Robin raised an eyebrow. This little boy was smart. Maybe too smart. "Alright."

Glancing at the door to make sure it was still shut and Starfire was no where around, Robin said, "I'm just afraid I'll end up loving her and losing her." _Like my parents._ "I just…easier this way."

"Nuh-uh."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'Nuh-uh'?"

"I mean dat—" The door opened and Starfire walked out, all dry and…breathtakingly beautiful. She had left her hair down and it flowed around her shoulders in a riot of soft curls.

Though she wore simple jeans, a formfitting white shirt, and a long, tan trench coat, she was the most beautiful creature he had laid eyes on…and the one most off limits.

"Ready to see you're mother?" She asked Christian, who watched her with love-sick eyes. "Uh-uh."

She grinned, walking to the door to grab her high-heeled brown boots. Robin glared at the little boy and said quietly, "That better not be drool, little man."

* * *

Hannah let out a content moan as hot water beat against her back. Oh, how she had missed this. There was nothing better than a nice, hot shower, even if half of you was wrapped in a trash bag to keep the casts from getting wet. Still, she wasn't dirty anymore! 

"Jeez, Hannah," Ethan complained from the room. "You've been in there for half an hour. Aren't you pruny yet?"

"None of you business."

She heard him grunt and grinned to herself. Ethan was so darned adorable. She had gotten used to him being around and, believe it or not, he wasn't the prep she had pegged him as. He was, well, more like she was. Depressed with life and waiting to be on their own. Well, she had her wish now. There was no way she was going back to _that_ place, where her no-good mother and abusive step-father resided. But, question was, where was she to go?

For the third time since she had been in the shower, Hannah rubbed the Dove soap that Ethan had brought her over her skin. "Oh, to be clean again!"

"Did you say something?" Ethan called from the room.

"Nope." Though her knee and shoulder were throbbing, nothing could rob her of her happiness of being clean.

When there was no possible way she could get any cleaner, Hannah turned off the water and cautiously stepped out. Assaulted but the Dove-scented steam, Hannah grinned, and towel-dried her skin. Taking off the stupid trash bags, she slipped on her silk blue pajamas (which had belonged to Ethan and still smelled like him). Hannah brushed her teeth, grabbed a brush, and walked out…or rather wheeled out, seeing as she had to use a god-forbidden wheelchair, else she would fall and add another injury to her never-ending list.

Ethan glanced up as she wheeled in. "How long does it take you to take a shower?"

"Very long, seeing as I was not allowed to bathe when the White Rose Killer had me. The only way to wash off was if he did it, so I chose to stay dirty. I would of taken a bath but—wow, I've never seen you look so angry."

"Well, that little comment of yours kinda pissed me off."

She raised an eyebrow, pulling herself up and sitting on the edge of her bed. Now, all she had to do was figure out a way to brush her hair with one hand without dropping the brush. "About me taking long showers?"

"You are such a blonde. I was mad about you being taken, and that jerk-off coming anywhere near you" He watched as she tried futilely to brush her hair. With a sigh, he stood up, snatched the brush from her good hand, sat behind her, and ran the bush softly through her long, gold hair.

He heard her intake of breath, and paused. "Did I hurt you? Sorry. I don't even brush my own hair, so I might not do this right."

"N-no. You're doing fine."

"Good." Eyes on his work, Ethan ran his fingers through the soft mass. "So…did the White Rose Killer…uh…"

"Rape me?"

"Yeah."

She shook her head. "He threatened it, but…never actually did. He almost did…the night before I escaped, but someone called on his cell-phone, and, well…he never got a chance after that."

"Thank God," he muttered, lifting her thick hair off her back, and sliding it over one shoulder. Not thinking anything of his movement, Hannah slid her good leg under her injured one.

"I guess I just got really lucky."

"Yeah, guess you did." She jerked when she felt his hot mouth against her neck. "What are you—"

"Shut up, Hannah." He said softly, leaning her head back and kissing her softly.

* * *

Not adventurous (I'm always saying that, so…I'm gonna stop. Yeah) but then again, a lot of them won't be, because if they were, you'd probably lose interest fast. Anyways, the last couple of chapter will be so adventurous, it'll make up for the non-exciting stuff. Now, it's all about the romance. Hey, it's whatcha get when you read a hopeless romantic's stories. Well, again, sorry 'bout the delay, but my no-good computer has turned to the evil side. So…until next time! 


	23. Chapter Twenty Two: January 13th

"So, uh…I guess I call you…" Harley glanced at Raven, balancing on her crutches.

"Raven here, Dru in public."

Harley nodded, moving forward as Beast Boy, Colt, her father, and Twain struggled in with her four poster bed. She knew it was heavy, but they were all so cute, huffing and puffing and bumping into things. Even Raven found it enjoyable.

"I can't wait until they get the dresser in." Raven said with malevolence.

"And my bag of clothes, which probably weighs more than the bed _and _the dresser."

Raven nodded, picking up the box she had gotten from the moving truck. Yeah, moving truck, which meant that Harley would probably be here for a while. Great. Just what she needed. A young roommate. It wasn't exactly the best timing, either.

"Hey, look," Harley said, all jokes aside. "I'm sorry that I have to stay here. I tried to beg my dad to let me stay with Colt or someone, but, well, I'm sure you know how that turned out, seeing as I'm here and all."

"I told you not to worry about it. Just…give me my space and all will be good."

Harley nodded, slowly sitting down on the couch, though she still grimaced in pain. "Alright. Do you have any rules?"

"I'll tell you that later when everything calms down a tad, okay?"

Harley nodded. She glanced up when Colt walked out and her cheeks flushed. She still remembered the kiss they shared, but Colt seemed to have forgotten all about it. He went on acting as if everything was normal and they were still nothing but best friends. Harley sighed heavily, catching Colt's attention.

"Have you taken you medicine yet?"

"No," she muttered, and was on her way to get up and find it when Colt dangled the bottle in front of her.

"Your dad gave it to me earlier so I could give it to you."

She snatched it out of his hand, and tried to get up to get something to wash it down with when he laid a bottle of water in her lap. "Well," she said dryly, "aren't you just handy to have around?"

"I should hope so." He walked around the couch to sit next to her. "How's the leg?"

"Its been better."

"Guess we lost a helper," Twain muttered as he headed for the door.

"I'll be down in a sec, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Since when did my job include moving furniture?" Twain muttered under his breath, and Waylin slapped him on the shoulder playfully. "Cheer up, buddy. At least you're getting the workout you so desperately need." Waylin chuckled when he earned a dark glare from Twain.

"At least I'm in better shape than you, bud." They disappeared into the hallway, leaving only Harley, Raven, and Colt in the room. Beast Boy had followed the two bickering officers out the hallway, shaking his head at their childish antics, though it reminded Beast Boy of him and Cyborg.

Since the sexual tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a butter knife, Raven followed Beast Boy, figuring Harley and Colt could use some time to 'talk' or whatever they wanted to do.

"Look, Harley, about last night—"

"How many time does everyone have to tell you? It wasn't your fault…okay, so it was, but at least you got there in time." Popping open the lid to her medication, Harley tilted the bottle until one round blue pain pill fell into her hand. She popped it into her mouth, grimacing at the taste, and chased it down with the cold water Colt had given her.

"That's not what I was talking about, but, thanks for the encouragement. I needed that for the layer of guilt I already harbor."

She blinked. "Oh. Then what were you talking about?"

"Have you seriously forgotten?"

"If your talking about you kissing me, then, no, I defiantly have not forgotten, but of it's something else you're talking about, then probably."

He let out a relived sigh. "So, you remember."

"Well, something like that isn't exactly easy to forget, especially when you have wanted it for so long." It hadn't been her first kiss, but it was damn close. Taylor Priggs had been the first guy to ever kiss her, and that was only because she had lost a bet. It was a stupid bet, actually. He had bet that she wouldn't kiss Colt, and, well, she hadn't, because she was scared half to death of what his reaction would have been, so she was forced to kiss Taylor. Not exactly the best moment of her life, seeing as Colt had seen it and wouldn't talk to her for days. She had only been twelve and Taylor, the stupid idiot, had been fifteen. Now what kind of guy that age would want to kiss a twelve year old girl with freckles and crooked teeth? Obviously, he had.

The second guy had been Gage McRyder, who she had dated for a half a month. The thing about him, though, was that he was more interest in his appearance than anything else. That, and the fact that he had only dated, and kissed her, when Colt was around. When she found out that he only kissed her because it pissed Colt off, he ended up with a bloody nose…and she got suspended. But, hey, Colt thought it was hilarious.

The third, and final one, had been with the sweetest guy she had ever met: Brady Donovan. They had made out once, but Colt and her dad had walked in. It hadn't looked good, seeing as she had been under him and her skirt had risen up to dangerous heights. Her dad threw Brady out on his rear, while she got 'the talk' from both of them. Yeah, Colt had supplied some advice as well as her dad. She had been mortified beyond repair. She had only been fourteen, and after that, she had never kissed or dated anyone. But that was also because that night, Colt had said that he couldn't believe that she would have done something like that. They had gotten into a huge fight about her virginity (Colt said she had slept with the guy and she denied it), but things had stopped quickly when she yelled, "If you don't believe me, then why don't you check my innocence for yourself?" Lets just say they had turned beat red, and she had run up to her room crying. Colt had followed her after a couple of minutes, and held her while she cried. He had said that he knew she was still a virgin and he was so sorry that he didn't believe her at first. He had kissed the top of her head, rocked her to sleep, and stayed with her the entire night. Luckily, Harley's dad knew he was only comforting her, and was so sure that Colt only thought of her as a sister.

The next morning, when she had woken up curled next to Colt, her father had been sitting in her wicker chair, arms crossed over his chest with a you're-dead-meat-little-girl stare. She had scrambled out of Colt's arms, which had, in turn, woken him up, and the idiot had grinned at her father.

"Mornin' Mr. Waylin," he had said groggily. And he had stayed there while her father had given her another lecture, grounded her for two months, and told her he had scheduled for her to get _tested_ to make sure she had done nothing with Brady and the get tests for STD's. Mortified beyond anything she had ever felt, Harley had just stared, wide-eyed as Colt snickered.

"And if I catch you with another boy," her father had threatened, "I'll beat your little butt until it bleeds, then, I'll lock you in your room with only water and bread. Got it?" Colt had loved that, until Harley injected, "What about Colt? He's somewhat of a boy."

"Colt, I can make an exception for, seeing as he has no interest in you romantically. Isn't that right, Colt?"

"That's right, Mr. Waylin. No offence, Harley, but braces, freckles, and tomboys aren't exactly attractive to me." Her father and Colt had left her then. She had immediately jumped in the shower, and cried for an entire hour.

"Harley?" She snapped out of her memories to look up at Colt.

"What?"

"You sorta blanked out on me there."

She shifted to get more comfortable. "Just…remembering."

"What?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, just about how you said a long time ago that braces, freckles, and tomboys weren't your type."

"Oh." He blinked for a second. "But…about last night…"

"You regretted it? Wished you had never done it? Want me to forget it? So, what's it gonna be? A, B, or C?"

He let out an aggravated sigh. "Fine. Are those all my options?"

Taken aback, Harley's eyebrows drew together. "Well, what else is there other than forget it ever happened. That it actually meant you care about me more than a friend? Yeah, right, and hell's in the process of having a snow-cone stand."

He narrowed one eye at her. "Well, that's still an A, B, C, or D answer."

She sighed. "Alright. So what is it?"

She gasped softly as he pulled her onto his lap, careful of her leg, and slanting his hungry mouth over hers. "I think I'll go with answer D."

* * *

"I think we're in for one helluva storm, here, folks." Robin glanced up at the darkening sky as Starfire and Robin herded Christian into the backseat.

"Then we best head back to the apartment."

"I agree fully with that," Robin muttered as thunder rumbled in the distance.

"I don't like storms," Christian muttered. "'Specially when it thunders loud."

"It will be fine," Starfire assured him as she buckled him into his car seat. "A little rain and thunder never hurt anyone."

Starfire jumped as thunder roared closer. "Alright, I'd say we better get back pretty quickly."

As Robin climbed into the driver's seat, he muttered, "You just _had_ to say something, didn't you?"

She gave him a sideways glare, buckling her seat belt. Before they pulled out of the hospital parking lot, buckets of rain poured from the sky, making it hard for Robin to see where he was going. Like the other cars, he slowed way down and flicked on the high beams. Instead of a short douse of heavy rain Jump City was popular for, the rain continued to pour, and Robin was forced to the side of the road.

"Damnit all to hell and back."

"Robin," Starfire snapped. "Language."

In the back seat, Christian giggled. "Oh, you in _trouble_."

"Stuff it, little man."

"He's being mean to me!" Robin cut off the engine and glared back at the little boy.

"And he's being a baby."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Too."

"Not."

"Too."

"Not."

"Children," Starfire said, trying to sound scolding, but her voice was soft with laughter. "Please. You are being immature."

"He's the one being mature."

"Thank you. I know I'm mature."

Starfire grinned. "I think he means immature, Robin."

"I know, but he said mature."

"Well, you're not."

"Yes I am."

"Nuh-uh."

"Uh-huh."

"Nuh-uh."

"Uh-huh."

Starfire chuckled. "Will you cease you bickering? You are both immature. _I_ am the mature one."

Robin and Christian exchange glances before saying in unison, "Nuh-uh."

Laughing, she turned mock glares at both of them. "At least more so that Robin."

"I agwee to that."

Robin stuck his tongue out at the little boy, who immediately mimicked him.

Starfire sighed, glancing out the window. "Robin?"

"What?" He made a face that had Christian chortling.

"The rain has lessened."

"Really?" Glancing out, he found she was right. It was still a down-pour, but he could actually see the road and other cars, who were lined against the road like they were.

"Good. So…I'm starving. Anyone up for McDonald's?"

"I want chicken nuggets!" Christian yelled from the back, jumping up and down in his seat. "Chicken! Chicken! Chicken! Chicken! Chicken!"

"Alright, alright, keep you shoes on, buddy. You'll get your chicken." Turning on the ignition, Robin slowly pulled out onto the road. Other started to follow his lead.

Turning the windshield-wipers on high, Robin headed for McDonald's.

"You know, Robin," Starfire said. "I never knew you were good with children."

"I'm not a child," Christian butted in. "I'm a man."

Starfire grinned. "I am sorry for mistaking you as a child."

"You are forgiven."

Robin chuckled. "You know, I didn't know I was either. Guess it just comes naturally."

"It does that when you're a child yourself." Christian said, shooting a toothy smile at Robin.

"Hardy-har-har."

"You sound like a pirate."

"I am."

"Nuh-uh."

"Uh-huh."

"Nuh-uh."

Starfire groaned. "Here we go again."

Robin and Christian continued to bicker, even as Robin pulled into the McDonald's parking lot. Ten minutes later, with their food, they were still going at it. Well, until Starfire shoved food under their noses', then, all was quiet as they stuffed their adorable faces.

"Oh! What an adorable child you have!" Starfire glanced up from her cheeseburger (heavy on the mustard). An old couple stood beside Christian, cooing at him softly.

"What's your baby's name?" The old man asked, resting on his metal cane.

"Oh, he's—" Starfire stared, but Robin interrupted. "His names Christian."

"What an adorable name! Aren't you just the sweetest thing, Christian. How old are you, little man?"

"Two."

"Oh, John, what an adorable voice! He reminds me of when our David was a little boy."

"Charlotte, please, dear, this nice couple is trying to have lunch with their son. Let's not bother them."

With one last pinch, Charlotte and John walked off, leaving Starfire staring at Robin. "I was trying to tell them that Christian was not ours."

"I know, but who cares of they think he's our son. Don't make any difference to me if they think he' s ours."

Christian and Starfire exchange bewildered looks as Robin wolfed down his Big Mac.

* * *

Raven walked in to find Harley in Colt's lap, and shook her head. "The guy are on their way up, so for now, I'd break it up pretty fast." Harley and Colt jumped at the sound of her quiet voice, separating as if they were caught…well, never mind.

Just as they straightened hair and clothes and resumed somewhat normal poses, they guy stumbled in, a dresser in their hands. They were soaked to the bone.

"Either you're sweat glands are overworking, or it's raining."

Raven received ticked looks for each one of them. "Either help, or shut up," Beast Boy managed. The disappeared into Harley's new room.

Raven glowered. Colt jumped up, looking every bit as guilty as he was.

"Colt," Raven said on a sigh. "You look like you just made out with Harley on my couch."

Confused, he stared. Raven rolled her eyes. "You look guilty. They're going to notice. So, I suggest before you go in there, try to look semi-normal."

He managed to look normal, and walked in as if nothing had happened. Moments later, all the men walked out. "There's nothing but boxes left, so we're almost done," Waylin said, watching the back of his daughter's head with a lifted brow.

"You okay there, hun?"

Harley glanced up, her swollen lips pressed together. "Yes, just tired."

Waylin seemed to believe it, yet Twain had a feeling he knew what was going on. He said nothing. He had been the one to bring Waylin here, and there was no way he was going to say anything and risk having Waylin fume while Twain drove him home.

"Well, we'll be out in a few minutes so you can rest."

She nodded, though her cheeks were still flushed. "Alright."

"Colt can stay here for a while and help you unpack, alright?"

The corners of Raven lips tilted in amusement. Yes, why don't you let the man who was just moments ago making out with your daughter stay here with no adults. Smart. Really smart. And the man was the _captain_ of the police force.

"Okay."

"Well…I'll call you later, Harley."

"Alright, dad." They walked out to get the rest of the boxes, leaving an amused Raven and an embarrassed, yet thrilled, Harley.

"I think it's time for those rules."

Harley blushed. "I am so sorry about Colt and I—"

"We're all guilty of it sometimes."

She let out a breath. "Okay, what are the rules?"

Raven sat down on the plush chair across from the couch. "Well, for starters, no bothering me while Beast Boy is here, okay?"

She grinned. "Done."

"Second, if you going to have sex, lock your door and turn on the radio, okay?" Colt walked in just as Raven said that, and almost dropped the box he was carrying.

"I don't think—"

"Just…remember that when you have guys over, okay?" Colt managed to set the box in her room, but stayed there, just incase they said something else that interested him.

"No drugs, alcohol, smoking, or anything illegal."

"Gotcha."

"And tell me when you invite someone over."

"Deal."

"And, uh…if I think of something else, I'll tell you, kay?"

"Sure." Harley smiled. "You're not very picky, are you?"

"No, not really. But, just remember, when you have Colt over and are going to mimic what you did in here, go to you room and turn on the music, just not too extremely loud. Just so I don't hear any…noises."

Harley flushed scarlet. "O-okay."

"So…that's all the rules I can think of right now." The guys came in the rest of the boxes, dropping them on the floor in the spare room the Harley was staying in.

"Well, we're going to leave before the rain gets any worse. See you later, Harley." She waved to her father, watching as the shut the door. Suddenly, she turned to Raven with a raised eyebrow.

"Does the same rule apply to you?"

Raven watched Beast Boy as he propped a hip against the chair that she was sitting in. "What rule?"

"When you have sex, to play music." Beast Boy chocked on the water he had been drinking.

"What the hell have ya'll be talking about?"

* * *

_The White Rose Killer sat broodingly, surrounded by newspapers and magazines. '_Hero escapes White Rose Killer's Clutches', 'Hannah Jones Outwits White Rose Killer', 'Mayor's Stepdaughter, Hero of Jump City', _and the list went on. It seems, the White Rose Killer thought with a sneer, that Hannah Carson Jones has made everyone think that I am growing weak. Well, I'll show them._

_With a howl of rage, the White Rose Killer shoved the papers off his desk, slamming his fist against the writing table. Maybe they were right. Maybe he _was_ becoming weak. Five women had escaped his grasp. _Five_. Hannah Carson Jones, Harley Waylin, the two undercover bitches who were trying to catch him, and the woman who had been riding in the car with the red-head. Damn. He was losing his touch. Each of those women should be resting six feet under by now, but they were alive and kicking…well, somewhat._

_Suddenly, his face split with a grin. He would kill them. Each and every one of them. Rape and kill them, torture them unmercifully. Forget targeting other women. Now, his priority lay with the victims that had slipped from his grasp. And he would start with Hannah Carson Jones. _

* * *

Not much Raven/Beast Boy, but I have the entire plot (well, some of it) planned out, and there wasn't too much BB-Rae-ness in this one. I just wanted to get Harley comfortable and, well, the Robin and Starfire-ness was fun to write, especially with Christian.

This isn't important to the story but my baby cousin took a few steps by herself! Oh, it was only about six steps, but she was so close to walking! I bet my grandmother that she would be walking by this Friday, June 10th, which is her birthday. Well, I kinda won. But, dude, she was so adorable! I thought my cousin (Karlee's mother) was going to have a heart-attack when she started to semi-walk. Since I'm in such a good mood, I wrote this entire thing today. Yep, all 11 pages in one day. Aren't you just so proud? Anyways…until next time!


	24. Chapter Twenty Three:January 13th

I stayed up all night and read all of The White Rose. I couldn't believe all the mistakes! Argh, I though I was going to cry. They were so simple, yet it ruined the entire sentence. I actually said naked from the waist _down _instead of the waist _up_ in chapter fourteen. I thought I was going to die. Dude, I am so gonna be careful when I write the rest of this story. Oh, and by the way, there will be minimal romance in this chapter. Someone pointed out that I was repeating myself, reminding ya'll of things you already knew and how too much romance could get boring, and they were right, so now, this is all new stuff. Of course, since it is me we're talking about, there will be romance but action too. Can't go wrong with the action. Anyways, enjoy! (By the by, this is all about Raven and Beast Boy)

* * *

Rain pelted the windows as Raven stared at the dark ceiling, sleep evading her. She had laid here for two hours, bundled in her silk sheets with the fire cracking in the hearth and thoughts whirling inside her brain.

It was clear that the White Rose Killer knew she was undercover, but did he know she was a titan, or merely an undercover officer? And how did he find out that she was undercover at all? Was he part of the police force? Maybe he had friends in high places. Or maybe they just sucked at undercover jobs.

Raven sighed, turning onto her side and holding a pillow to her chest. But they had done nothing that would give them away. They had not used their powers, or called each other fully by their real names, so that ruled out the possibility that they had given themselves away. It had to be either an officer behind it all, or…hell, she didn't know. They were traveling in circles while innocent girls were being plucked off the streets and suffering in the worst way possible.

What if they didn't figure out this case? What if the White Rose Killer got away from them? Raven didn't think she could survive much more of her 'premonitions'. It was hard enough knowing that their lives' were being cut short, but feeling their pain, their fright, was more that Raven could handle. Her emotions were hard to deal with now, and with this new 'power' so to speak, she would be driven to madness. Right now, Beast Boy was the only person keeping her sane.

Damn, she was starting to get tired and the thought of the White Rose Killer was giving her a migraine. With a groan of frustration, Raven closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep.

* * *

_Raven's muscles tensed when she heard the groan of the floorboards. In the days she had been here, she had never heard that sound at night. Oh, right, Harley was here. It was probably her walking around. _

_No, that couldn't be Harley. She had to use crutches to get around, so her footsteps would be unbalanced. Raven willed her muscles to relax. It was probably just her imagination playing tricks on her. There was no way anyone could get into her apartment, save for Beast Boy, Twain, Ortega, and Waylin, who all had keys. _

_The floor groaned again, this time close to her door. Raven jerked up in bed, her eyes trained on the crack beneath the door. She always left the hallway light on and now, a shadow danced beneath the door. Some one was outside in the hallway, in front of her door. _

_Quickly, Raven turned on her side, her back facing the door just as it creaked open. Her heard thundered in her chest. Who the hell could it be? It wasn't Beast Boy, that she knew for sure. He would have thrown open the door, not cracked it open slowly, so not to make a sound. What if…what if this was the White Rose Killer?_

_Impossible. He knew not who she was…but what if he did? It was no coincidence that someone had tried to run her down, so…what if he did know? What if he was trying to kill her now, in her own apartment?_

_Her door shut slowly, cutting off all light. She could feel someone in the room with her. She had no idea where the person was, because her carpet muted all footsteps. So she waited, eyes staring straight ahead, sweat beading her forehead. _

_Stay calm. Don't panic. Just wait for the right moment. She held her breath. _

_"I know you're awake, my child." He whispered, and before she could move, she was jerked onto her back, hands shoved roughly above her head, anda man straddling her hips. He slammed a hand against her mouth before she could do anything. _

_"Make one sound and I'll kill your little boyfriend so fast he won't have time to scream." Raven froze. Dear God, had he been watching her? How did he know about Beast Boy?_

_"That's it, beautiful, don't move." He removed his hand. "Now, baby, not a word. You do, and your little play toy won't live until tomorrow."_

_Raven's body shook with fright, but she didn't move. She stared at the figure above her, trying desperately to see who the man was. He was nothing more than a dark shadow and she was positive that a black ski masked concealed his face. _

_He rummaged around, and she heard the clink of chains. Oh God. That couldn't be handcuffs, could it? _

_He chuckled. "You know exactly what I'm going to do to you, don't you my pet? Go ahead, you can talk quietly. But scream, and I'm sure you know what will happen."_

_"You're a sick bastard," she spat, jerking her head away when he ran a long, cold finger down her jaw. _

_"I know. Now, now, let's not be mad. I promise it won't hurt. Just for you, I'll take things slow." _

_"Touch me and I'll kill you," she snarled as he cuffed her wrist above her head. She jerked on them instinctively. Sharp pain cut through her wrist. _

_"Ooh," he chuckled, hooking a finger under the collar of her shirt. "You have quite a temper. You don't know how arousing that truly is."_

_Before she could say anything else, he shoved a musty-smelling rag into her mouth. Raven though she was about to gag. _

_Raven felt the soft petals of a rose trail down her neck and closed her eyes. Was this truly how her life was going to end? Raped and murdered by the very man she was trying to catch? No. No, she wouldn't die like this. _

_"Such a pretty thing you are." He cooed, pulling a long, sharp knife from his sheath at his waist. "I hate to mar such perfect, white skin." The White Rose Killer slid his knife beneath her shirt, slicing the fabric as if it were nothing more that butter. Her fist clenched. She was not going to cry, she was not going to cry. _

_With one swift movement, he had removed her shirt so she now lay beneath him in nothing more than a bra and pajama bottoms. Soon, even they were ripped from her. _

_"Such soft skin," he mumbled as he trailed his disgusting, cold hands down her body. _

_She had to do something. He pulled the gag from her mouth and slammed his mouth down against hers so brutally that he drew blood. Wasting no time, Raven bit his lip as hard as she could. She felt his blood on her mouth as he snapped back with a yelp. He jerked back his arm and slapped her soundly, the sound ringing through her ears as her own blood filled her mouth. But she didn't cry. She just turned to him with a sneer, and spat at him. _

_Instead of snapping in anger, he chuckled, wiping her blood from his cheek. "Now, now, let's not get a temper."_

_"Fuck you," Raven snarled, her teeth clenched. _

_"What a dirty mouth you have, my dear," he said softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear when she jerked her head away from his vile touch. "I am starting to lose my patience, my dark one."_

_"I'm not your anything."_

_In the darkness, she could tell he shook his head. "Your fire impresses me. You have yet to cry."  
_

_"I'll never cry."_

_"Ah, so you think yourself strong, hmm?" He shifted above her, leaning down to whisper, "I'm sure you thought you were strong when your little boy-toy pushed you out of the way of my truck_, Dru Moody_. You thought you were off the hook, escaping me as you did." He reached down and jerked off her underwear. Raven closed her eyes tightly, her heart stopping in her chest. She now layvulnerable beneath this bastard, nothing covering her body except the thin film of sweat. _

_"But now," he bit out, fury lacing his voice, "you're paying for it, aren't you?" He spread her legs sharply, laying himself between them as he fumbled with his zipper. "No one gets away from me, Raven. No one."_

_Raven screamed as he thrust inside her._

* * *

Raven jerked up in bed with a cry at the pain in her lower stomach. It felt like she was being torn apart from the inside and just as she was about to scream out, it disappeared.

Her eyes jerked around her dark room, then down her body. She was still fully clothed in her night clothes, and when she jumped up to examine the bed, there was no blood stains or any sign of rape. The pain in her stomach was gone completely, and not even a throb still existed. Raven ran her tongue through her mouth, yet she tasted no blood.

"It was all a dream. All a damn nightmare." But why did it feel so real? Had she just seen into her own future? Or had her emotions gotten the best of her and put her in the place of his next victim? Maybe that had been it, and she had seen herself being raped instead of his next victim.

But why? Why had it been _her_ that had been raped? And he had said her name, undercover and real. What if that _was_ her future? What if that dream meant that he knew who she was, and that he was out to get her?

Oh God. What if she was next? _Calm down, Raven. It probably meant nothing. It was just a nightmare. _

_But why?_ her mind taunted. _Why did you see yourself instead of the victim? Why would he have said your name if he was raping another girl? When you saw the other victims, it had happened. So what if now, you see future rapes and murders? Now, you see into your own future, your _own_ death. _

Raven ran a trembling hand through her hair. Raven tried to talk herself into believing that it had just been a nightmare, a vivid one, but a nightmare nonetheless. It worked for awhile.

But, just to be safe, she needed to talk to Beast Boy. Raven didn't even bother with shoes as she carefully walked out her apartment, taking her keys with her. She had been given an extra key to Beast Boy's apartment, and now, as she fumbled with the lock, she thanked Twain for his clever thinking.

Raven was assaulted by darkness as she opened Beast Boy's door and the numbing cold. Jeez, how did he stand it? It was like walking into a freezer.

Creeping in silently, Raven shut the door and tip-toed to his room…well, at least to the first door she came across. She had no idea what room he chose as his bedroom, so she just picked the first door handle she could get her hands on.

Peering into the first room, Raven caught sight of a large bed, and the lump in the middle of it. Beast Boy. Raven let out a relieved sigh.

"Beast Boy," she whispered, but no response came from the bulge of bed sheets. She repeated his name, only louder. Still, nothing.

She crept in quietly, watching as close as she could for anything that laid on the floor that would cause her to trip. Thankfully, she made it to the bed without any trouble.

"Beast Boy, please. I need to talk to you." When he made no sound, she let out a sound of aggravation, unexpected tears welling up in her throat.

The lump moved slowly, and a head peeked out. "Raven?" Beast Boy muttered sleepily. "What are you doing here?"

"I…I had another dream…"

Suddenly, he seemed wide awake, and reached over to the bedside table to flick on the light.

Raven closed her eyes briefly at the bright light, but her eyes adjusted quickly. She opened them to find him watching her worriedly.

Suddenly, she didn't know what to say. Why had she come here in the first place? Usually, she kept her dreams and nightmares to herself, but now she was coming to him. Things were just getting weirder and weirder.

Raven suppressed a shiver and rubbed her arms to try and get warm. She must look like an idiot, standing there in nothing more than an oversized jersey that skimmed her knees.

"Rae…what happened?"

She watched as he sat up and patted the spot beside him. Hesitantly, she walked to the bed. Why was her heart pounding? What did she expect? For him to grab her in his arms and make love to her? No, she was only here to tell him that she had a feeling that she was to be the next victim. She was not here to let Beast Boy have her.

She sat on the edge of his bed, her arms crossed under her breasts. Beast Boy sighed. "Raven, you're freezing. Would it help if I got up so you could get under the covers?"

"No," she said quietly. "Don't get up." Raven moved to him, sliding under the cotton sheets that were warm with his body heat. He wore nothing but a white shirt and Scooby-Doo boxers, yet his skin was hot against hers.

Still hesitant at being in his bed, Raven folded her hands in her lap and didn't move a muscle. Beast Boy chuckled. "Raven, I won't bite, I promise. You can sit back, or lay down if you want. I'm not going to do anything now."

Raven glanced up at him and felt an unusual tug pull at her heart. She didn't know what it was, but she ignored it just the same as she did her other emotions. Slowly, she leaned back until her head hit the pillow, and couldn't stop the sigh of comfort.

"You bed it more comfortable that mine is," she mumbled as he laid down beside her. His legs accidentally brushed against hers and her heart skipped a beat.

"You can stay in it anytime you want." At the look she gave him, he added "I don't mean like that. I just mean…never mind." He blushed, then changed the subject to more important matters. "Alright, you said you had a dream. Was it another victim?"

"I guess you could say that," she muttered, turning her body so her back faced him. "But…this time…the victim was me."

Just as she expected, he was silent. Then, he said, "What?" His voice was dull, as if he couldn't believe what he heard.

She sighed, gnawing on the inside of her lip. "It was strange. But, like his other victims, I felt everything. I could taste the blood, feel his hands on me, feel the pain, but this time, it was me, not someone else. He was doing those things to _me_. And he called me Raven."

He said nothing, just laid his hand on her waist. "Rae, are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. When I woke up, I could still feel the pain, but then it was gone." She turned again to face him, rising up on her elbows to watch his face. "But what if that means that I'm the next victim? I don't know if it was just a dream, or a future glimpse into _my_ own future. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Every time I had those…premonitions, they had already happened. But this one had not happened yet. Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions and taking this way out of proportions. But…I just…it's just scary to think that I might be the next victim."

"You won't be, Raven. At least not while I'm around. He won't come anywhere near you."

She groaned. "But I still have no idea if this is a look into my future or just a dream."

He pulled her head down to kiss her softly. "I wouldn't worry about it now, Raven. As long as I live, he will never touch you, alright?"

Her lips curved. "I'll never have to worry about anything again."

He sighed. "I know you're being sarcastic, but I'm not, Rae. I'm completely serious. I might not be strong like Cyborg or Robin, but I swear I'll die before I let him touch you. It might not be comforting at all, but—Ouch!" Beats Boy rubbed his arm where Raven had pinched him with her long black nails. "What was that for?"

"Of course it's comforting, idiot. I think you have a lower self-esteem then I do."

"It's what happens when you've been made fun of your entire life. Between bashing myself and everyone else adding to the criticism, you lose your self-esteem. But I guess my moment with Terra took what was left of my self-esteem. Wait a sec…talk about a change of subject. Lets get back to the _imporant_ matter."

Raven bit her lip. "There's not really anything else to say about it."

"Your dream? Of course there is. You just told me that you saw your own…rape."

She let out a huff of breath. "Yes, but I don't _know_ if it was a look-into-the-future-thing, or just a nightmare."

"Okay, well…for tonight, lets just go back to sleep and worry about it tomorrow. I can sleep on the couch if you want me to."

She nodded, though was reluctant to get up from the warm comfort of his bed. She forced herself up, pushing the warm covers back and stepping into the cold air. "Why do you keep your apartment so cold?"

"I like to snuggle." She glanced back at him and he blushed. "What? It's just an animal thing."

"Sure." Raven walked out of Beast Boy's apartment with him hot on her heels. But when she got to her door, she froze, Beast Boy running into her back. He steadied her by snaking an arm around her waist. "Jeez, Rae, what's with the brakes?"

But he soon realized why she had stopped so suddenly. Her door was cracked open.

"I shut it before I came to you."

Slowly, with the tip of her finger, Raven pushed her door open. Beast Boy eyes scanned the room from behind Raven. With his animal traits, seeing into the darkness was simple. But, from what he could tell, nothing was out of the ordinary in the main room.

"Was Harley's door closed?" He asked, eyes narrowed against the dark as he gazed at Harley's half-way open door.

"Yeah, but maybe she got up to go to the bathroom or something. Maybe…I don't know. What if I didn't close the front door? I mean, I shut it as softly as I could so I didn't wake her up, and maybe the latch didn't catch or something. I'm just…emotionally unstable right now, so everything seems unusual."

"Well…just incase, I'll go in first."

"My knight in shining armor." But this time, her voice lacked all sarcasm and sounded…sincere. _Yeah, right_, Beast Boy thought as he walked in silently, heading for her room.

He pushed open her door with one hand. "Now," he said quietly, flipping on the light," why don't you…oh hell." Beast Boy's eyes widened as Raven tried to peek over his large shoulders.

"What? Beast Boy, don't scare me like that. What the hell made you say 'oh hell'?"

Beast Boy moved back slowly for Raven to see. Her heart stopped in her chest. There, on her pillow, the exact one she had laid her head on before going to Beast Boy's, lay a white, un-bloomed rose.

"Dear God."

Suddenly, it hit her. "Harley." The stumbled out of her room and slammed open Harley'sdoor. Harley popped up in bed at the sound, her eyes wide yet unfocused with sleep. "Jesus, what the hell are you doing?"

Beast Boy turned on the light, and Harley closed her eyes with a groan. "I missed something here, didn't I?" Eyes adjusting to the onslaught of light, Harley stared at Raven and Beast Boy's pale face. Their eyes were trained on the pillow beside her head. Slowly, she glanced down, only to find a white, un-bloomed rose.

"Oh God." Harley jumped out of bed the best she could, and pressed herself against the wall as thought ran rampaged through her brain.

"I did see my own future, Beast Boy." Raven stared at the white rose dully. "And he knows exactly who were are."

* * *

A'ight, I decided something. I will write bunches of romance, 'cause that's just my forte, but there'll be action, too. I am sorry if you don't like the abundant romance, and I know I'm supposed to please the audience, but, dudes, I need to please myself as well. I'm not a famous writer yet, and I'm just testing my boundaries. So…not to be rude or anything, but…if you don' t like the romance, then you're just out of luck, 'cause one of the main categories _is_ romance. Now, I'll try not to repeat things, but…this is sad…I really only know how to write romance. I'm not to good at suspense or action, and though I have no experience when it comes to the whole romance thing, I'm better at writing it than anything else. So, uh…yeah…

This has nothing to do with the story, but I completely fell in love with the eppie 'Stranded'. That, to me, is the best episode I have ever seen in my entire life! I'm a huge Robin/Starfire fan, and had been hoping that they would, I dunno, admit that they like each other or kissed or something, but 'Stranded' was totally awesome. Now, if the writers don't pair them up in the end of the series, there'll be some serious anger on my part. Well, until next time!


	25. Chapter Twenty Four: January 14th

"What does this mean?" Waylin asked as he squeezed his daughter's shoulders. Twain shrugged, studying the five white rose laying in front of him. It hadn't even been four o'clock in the morning when his cell-phone had woke him up. He had been severely pissed at Beast Boy, the one who had called him, until he heard the boy's story. A white rose had been left in Harley and Raven's room, which had probably been left by the WRK himself. And if that had not been enough, the kid had said that the dark one had seen her own rape. Unsteady, he had ended his phone call, only to pick it up when it rang again. This time, it had been the leader calling, saying that a white rose had been left on the red-head's pillow, which she had been sleeping on.

Somehow, the mayor's nephew had gotten Twain cell-phone number, and was ranting about how the White Rose Killer, or some sicko, had left a white rose on Hannah Carson's pillow. And if that hadn't been enough, the girl that had been in the wreck with Red had also received a white rose.

Damnit. He was targeting the girls who had escaped his wrath. But who would he go after first? Hannah, his first victim? Or the titans? None of this made any sense. First off, how did he know about the titans?

Twain studied each officer that loomed nearby. What of one of his men was the White Rose Killer?

Twain shoved a hand through his hair. Each girl had been called to the police building in order to be questioned. Twain would have…okay, no, there was no way he would have gone to them each, so this was the only option in his opinion, though he was receiving livid glares from the boyfriends of the ones in casts.

"Alright, so lets just lay down what we know." Twain stretched and leaned back in his chair. "You lucky five are the next victims, or so the WRK hopes. He'll probably be hell-bent on making sure you suffer for getting out of his grasp. So, each of you will never go out alone, or be _anywhere_ alone. You will never go anywhere without a crowd around you, and if you do, well, then you're just stupid, and I don't deal well with stupidity. If I have to, I'll assign officers to watch you."

"You know good and well that we'll protect them, Twain." Robin muttered, arms crossed over his chest with a devil-may-care look.

"Yes, well, two of you are titans, and the others are just humans." That comment sparked immediate confusion.

"Titans?" Wyatt asked, his gaze immediately falling on Starfire and Robin.

"Yes, since you are now all inadvertently involved in this, it's high time you know." Twain sighed.

"Dru Moody--Raven, Logan Field--Beast Boy, Grayson Rich—Robin, and Rose Skylar—Starfire. Cyborg is Victor Stone, but he is not as important in the case as the rest of the titans."

Mallory shifted on her crutches. Damn how she hated these things. "So the entire time I was befriending a titan?"

Starfire's cheeks bloomed pink. "I am sorry if I have somehow made you wary of me."

Mallory shook her head. "No…I just hope you weren't feeling sorry for me and acting like a friend."

"Of course not," Starfire said, but was cut off by Twain.

"Save all the sniveling for later." He snapped, earning a lethal glare from Starfire. He stared at her unflinchingly. She was the first to drop her gaze.

"Now, let me clear something up. I know good and well that the titans are secured in having someone being with them at all times, but is there on of you that needs an officer to be with them?"

Ethan shook his head before Hannah could so much as blink. "Hannah's got me."

Colt pulled Harley closer to him instinctively. "Harley's got someone."

As expected, no one spoke up for Mallory. Hell, what did she expect? Like Wyatt would want to spend God-knows how long with her until the WRK was under bars.

"I don't have anyone," Mallory said softly, flinching visibly when all eyes fell on her. "What? My parents are out of town for the moment on business and I don't think you can count Chris as a bodyguard—"

"I'll do it," Wyatt muttered. Mallory bristled. "No, you wont."

His gray eyes widened. "Why not?"

Twain groaned and stood up, walking out of his office without so much as a glance form the other teenagers. Why were teens so freaking hormonal?

"We wouldn't want you to sink so low as to stay with me." She snapped sarcastically. Harley blinked and slowly, with Colt's help, stepped out into the hallway, followed by the rest of them. Even Christian had left, not even attempting to get involved in something so adult-like.

The bustling office paused to watch the crowd of teenagers curiously before returning to their paperwork or answering phones. Knowing full and well that they would be out here for a while, Ethan and Colt went to fetch chairs for Hannah and Harley so they could sit down. The rest of the teens sunk down onto the floor, and tried to mute out the heated conversation that was coming from Twain's office. Christian, for a change, left Starfire to go to Hannah, who had welcomed the little boy with a soft, pretty smile.

"Wyatt, I don't want you around me."

"Well, it's not like I'm fond of being around you."

"Yeah, you made that quiet clear when you said that I was nothing more than a toy, and not a very good one at that." Mallory pushed down the pain her own comment brought, and sat down. She flinched when the movement jarred her leg, but she was too livid to care.

He lifted a long finger and pointed it at her. "I only said that because—oh, hell, never mind."

She snarled at him. "Detective Twain said he would get me an officer to keep watch over me—"

"And I told you I would do it."

"Yeah, you said it like you had to, but didn't want to."

"Well…"

"See? You would brood about in the stupid hospital room and bring me down because you don't want to be anywhere near me. It hurt bad enough when you told me you didn't want me, and seeing it for years wasn't exactly easy, but now I am somewhat immune to your hatred towards me. Not completely, though, and if you stayed with me, I would hurt all the more."

He let out a sigh and crouched in front of her. She blinked, then turned her head away from him. "Mal, I don't hate you at all. In fact, what I feel for you is far from hate."

"What do you feel for me?" She asked , her voice deep with emotion. "Pity? I should have known the fist time you kissed me that you felt sorry for me."

"Damnit, Mal, I don't feel pity for you."

"Oh, yeah, all you feel is…well, I don't know what you feel, but that's far from the point here. You don't want to be with me, even if it is to keep me from being killed, and that fine with me. I've managed life without you for the past two years, and I'll continue to do it now."

"Jesus, Mal," Wyatt groaned, leaning his forehead against her good knee. She didn't pull away, yet he could tell the way she stiffened. "I do want to be the one that protects you—"

"Don't lie to me again, Wyatt. I'll only hate you more." He pulled away quickly after that and moved across the room to lean against the wall and stare out at the howling storm.

"Don't act so surprised, Wyatt. You did everything in your power to make me hate you, even if you didn't mean to."

"I did mean to," he said softly.

"Oh, and what the hell does that mean? You wanted me to hate you? Well, guess what, it didn't work." His surprised eyes snapped to hers, and they were so heavy with emotion, Mallory thought she was imagining things. Did he actually look pleased?

"Unfortunately, I did try to hate you, and almost succeeded, believe me, but there is no way I can hate Christian's father, even if you are a low life."

"But I didn't want any part of his life! How can you not hate me?"

"Hell if I know," she muttered. "I wish I did, because maybe I wouldn't hurt so much. But that is _so_ not the point here."

"Mallory, I never meant to hurt you."

She stared at him dully for so long, he blushed, but then she hooted with a bitter laugh. "Yeah, sure. You were only pushing me away to keep from _really_ hurting me." She didn't notice the way his eyes clouded, as if she had hit the truth, but continued. "Wyatt, you could never hurt me more than what you did. Maybe, if it had only been me you rejected, I could have gotten over you, but you rejected my _son_. You wanted me to get a goddamn abortion, Wyatt. So, if you really were trying to protect me from something, which I highly doubt, you didn't. You hurt me more than anyone ever could."

She looked away from him, running a hand along her pink cast. "Lets just forget this, okay? I'll have someone to protect me or whatever, and you can go home—"

"I'm not going home, Mal. I'm going to stay with out no matter how you throw a fit."

"Don't do this, Wyatt. Please."

His eyebrows drew together. "Do what?"

"Staying with me would make it seem like you care, and right now, I can't take that. I realize now that I can't keep Christian with me because I can't protect him, so now, without him, I'm so weak it's not even funny. I can't protect myself from you when he's not around. If you stayed, I'd end up loving you more than I already do."

Quietly, Wyatt sat beside her. "Mallory…I want to stay with you."

"Why," she cried, not being able to hold back the flood of tears. Great, just what she needed. Tears. "Why are you doing this? You don't care about me, or Christian—"

"Damnit, Mallory, I love you, that's why I want to stay with you."

She jerked back, her eyes wide, lips parted in shock. "Wha—what?"

"I pushed you away because I was afraid I would turn out like _him_, and I couldn't put you, or Christian through that." He ran his shaking hands through his unruly hair. Turing away from her, he walked back to the window. Well, damnit, he had already said too much, so it was time he told her everything. It would change nothing, but maybe now she would understand why had had pushed her out of his life.

"My dad was a alcoholic. I mean, a serious drunk. He had always been a drunk, even when he was thirteen. He drank with his father." Wyatt let out a breath as unwanted memories resurfaced. "My father's family was cruel, heartless people. Well, the men, anyhow. They drank, they gambled, the whored, and they beat their wives. I mean, seriously beat them. It didn't matter if they were drunk or not. Sad thing was, their rage didn't come until after they had a kid, or married. Then, well, lets just say that if their wives weren't killed to death, they committed suicide."

His eyes stared out dully into the rain, fist clenched in his pockets. "My mother tried to divorce him. Almost managed to, but he used me to keep her with him. He would lock me up in the cellar for weeks at a time, with nothing more than stale bread and one glass of water. He won't tell my mother where he kept me, and threatened that if she left, he would leave me there without food and water. He kept telling her that it would be her fault if I died down there. So, because of me, she never left.

"I remember I was…six, when most of it started. Well, when I realized what was going on, anyhow. My mother used to tell me to go to a friends house every night, and at first I thought that she didn't want me. I was so mad at her for so long. But I didn't know she was protecting me…from _him_." Wyatt didn't even realize that tears had made an appearance until he felt the salt hit the corner of his mouth. He wiped it off with the back of his hand.

"I had gone over to a friends house one night, and I had been so livid because she had made me leave again. I had told her I hated her before I left. God, she had looked so hurt, so lost, that by the time I made it to the guys house, I couldn't take the guilt. I dropped my things, and ran home. I was barely to the porch when I heard it. Skin against skin. It was so loud, like a clap of thunder. I remember running in there, but they hadn't noticed me. They were in the kitchen. And my mother was lying there, on the floor, her face bleeding and bruised. I was so young that I didn't know what was going on until he picked her up by the collar and hit her. I don't mean open palm either. He had actually hit her with his _fist_. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I mean, I had never loved the bastard and I knew my mother didn't either, and I knew he was cruel, but…I never thought he would actually _hit_ her.

"And then I charged in their like some superhero or something, thinking that I could stop him from hurting her anymore. I was a little thing as a kid. I had always been small, but I have always had an attitude. No one called me small or anything for the fear of me hitting them. Oh, God, even then I was like him. Using my fist to get what I wanted. I remember launching myself at him, and that bastard thought it was funny. He laughed, grabbed me by the collar, and literally threw me into my mother's prized china cabinet. It was one of the only things she loved in that house, and I ruined it because I wanted to seem like a hero."

"Wyatt—"

"Like a wimp, I passed out, and my mother was beat ever worse. But, after that, he never hit her…he hit _me_. And no matter how much she begged and pleaded with him, he would just hit me, and hit me, until I couldn't even stand up. It went on like that for years. I was constantly missing school because of my 'accidents'. He would tell everyone the 'fallen down the stars' or ran into a doorknob' story and had even said that I had fallen of my skateboard and broke a few bones. The list goes on. But one of my teachers was suspicious. He had gone by my house to drop my homework off, when he walked in on my old man beating the shit out of me. I had barley gotten over my other bruises when he started to hit me. My mother had tried to stop him, but he had thrown her off and she had hit her head against the stairs. Like always, I was fighting back, like I always did. But I just wasn't strong enough. He was stronger than I was, and he reminded me of that all the time. But my teacher had immediately called the police, but had made no appearance, so that bastard didn't know he was there. The police burst in, guns pointed at him, and he panicked. He had used me as a shield. I was…fourteen, I think. Yeah, fourteen. He threatened that if they shot, they would kill me. Problem was, I told them to shoot. I had already attempted suicide, but every time I was close to it, that bastard would stop me. He said that I deserved what I got and there was no way he would let me go the easy way. But I kept telling them to shoot, and their faces were priceless. They were so shocked, so vexed, that they actually lowered their guns.

"But they raised them again, and he panicked. He kept saying 'I'll run and you'll shoot, but you'll kill the boy too' so when he started to move, they couldn't do anything for fear that they would kill me. But my mother, God bless her, grabbed her family heirloom, a priceless vase, and slammed it over his head just to save me. It gave the police enough time to grab me and arrest him. But as he was still conscious as they arrested him. He kept screaming that I was just like him, that one day I would grow up to do exactly what he did, and I would be throw in jail like the no-good kid I was. And I believed it." Wyatt jumped when he felt a soft hand on his shoulder and looked down to see Mallory. Her eyes were filled with tears she made no move to hide. "Wyatt—"

"That's not all, Mal. When…when you came over the day I made love to you, do you remember how my hands were bruised and my house trashed?"

She nodded, her throat clogging with suppressed tears. "He had come back. He had been in prison for two years, but was let out for good behavior. He came straight to my house, though we had moved from where we used to live. He had somehow gotten it from someone, telling where we lived. I hadn't been home then because, believe it or not, I went to the library to get more info for our project. Something so unlike me, but when I got home, everything was trashed. He had shoved everything from the shelves, broke all the plates, and when I walked in, the first thing he did was try to hit me. After he had been put in jail, my mother had paid for us to get self-defense classes, so, though I didn't know it was coming, I managed to move just as his fist came flying. He hit the wood, but it didn't seem to faze him. I had managed to somehow win without too many bruises, save for the knuckles, but before he left he said 'You are just like I am. I'm so proud of you' and he left with a grin. And then you came, and I wasn't thinking logically.

"I had been attracted to you way before that stupid project, Mal. You had always seemed so damn innocent, always reading, never talking to anyone. You were just…perfect. Most of the girls I knew thought that they were Gods gift to men and I wasn't really attracted to them. I knew we had English together, and you sat right in front of me. I was always itching to say something to you, but you were just so shy, and timid, and when you did look at me, you only glared. You were so adorable. And that stupid project came up and we got paired up. I missed school because I was off skipping class and you were sick, so we were the only ones left. But I wasn't disappointed at all. In fact, I was thrilled. I had gotten your address from on of the teachers and went by your place. You were washing that monster of yours. You were so damn cute and though I was attracted to you physically, I knew that there was something more, and I was scared to death. When I got with a girl, I never had feelings for her. But then there was you. Anyway, I chased down that stupid dog and helped you out. I guess I fell in love with you there. You laughed and joked with me and I wasn't so depressed anymore. For the first time in years, I had laughed. Really actually laughed.

"And when you came over to my house to do work, and I wouldn't cooperate, you get all miffed and was about to leave. I guess I let my guard slip and asked you to stay, then I was kissing you. Things kinda went down hill from there. When you came by later, after he had been there, I was so furious at him, that I let it get in the way. So when you pulled me to the kitchen to bandaged me up, I couldn't stop myself from kissing you. I was so scared because of what that bastard had said, and then I was spilling out everything, about how much I really needed you. God, Mal, you let me take everything. You were so patient with me. It was like…you cared. After that, I thought I could handle it. For that short time, I was so damn happy with you. And then you said you were pregnant. And his words rushed into my head. _You'll be just like me, little man._

"And I couldn't do it, Mallory," he said, his voice cracking. "I couldn't hurt you like he did my mother. I couldn't hurt out child like that. I couldn't become him. I couldn't be selfish and let you be open to such hurt. What if I do turn out like him? What if I had been there for Christian, kept you with me, then turned around and hurt you like that? That why I told you I didn't want him, Mal. Because I was scared that if you stayed with me, I would just end up hurting you both. I didn't know that I had hurt you so bad without even laying a hand on you. Don't you see, Mal?" He turned to her, his eyes so hurt that she let out a whimper of pain. "I _am_ like him. I only hurt the ones I love, no matter what I do. I can't even make my mother happy."

"Oh, God, Wyatt," she whispered, everything falling into place now. Though somewhat clumsily, she turned him around and hugged him hard, leaning her cheek against his chest. "I didn't know…I thought it was because you didn't…oh Wyatt."

He sunk down in his knees and buried his face him her stomach, his body wracking with sobs. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know I was hurting you so bad. I…I just wanted to protect you. I'm so sorry."

Mallory bowed her head as she stroked his hair, hot tears spilling over her cheeks. "Wyatt…I understand now."

"I did want Christian, I really did, but I couldn't risk hurting him. I thought it would be so much easier if you hated me."

"I could never hate you, Wyatt." She slid down until she was eye to eye with him with a little difficulty. Tears flowed freely from his pale gray eyes as she softly kissed him. "And you will never be like him. I know you wont. I don't think you're even capable of hitting someone." She raised a slim finger when he objected. "Yes, okay, so you've sucker-punched a few guys, but you would never hurt me or Christian."

"How do you know?" He asked meekly, humiliated that he was crying. He lifted a hand to swipe away the tears, but she laid a soft hand against his, preventing him from doing so. "Why don't…you try to be with me and Christian?"

He shook his head quickly. "I can't risk it."

"But I can. This is my decision, Wyatt, and I want to be with you. Beside, if you do hit me, I'll hit you right back."

He laughed softly before he became serious. "But I'm so scared, Mal. What if I'm not a good father, or—"

"Wyatt, don't think like that. You'll be a great father. But…just give it a chance. Please. Christian needs a father. He needs you. Please don't sell yourself short because of something that bastard said. Just try it. You don't even have to be with me. Just get to know Christian. That's all I ask."

"Are you sure, Mal? You could be endangering your child—" _Whack._ Mallory smacked the side of his head so hard, he saw stars.

"I would never endanger my child, _our_ child, you Nimrod."

"But—"

"No buts. Either you want to be with him or you don't."

"I want to be with both of you but—"

"Didn't I say no buts? This will be your only chance to have us back, Wyatt. Take it or leave it." Gently, she wiped at his tears.

"I do want to be with you, Mal. More than anything…"

"Why do I feel a 'but' coming on?"

"Mal…this is just so…I never thought I'd tell you why I pushed you away and—"

"Lets make this simple, since you seem so hell-bent on making this complicated. Either you want us, or you don't."

"I—"

"Yes, I know you do, but if you wan t it bad enough, you'll take it now. I don't want Christian growing up without a father, but if you don't step up now, I'll have to find someone that can help fill the void of emptiness in him…and me…I don't want to seem cruel, but, God, Wyatt, I've been alone for so long." She took a deep breath and swiped at her own tears. "So…the choice is yours, Wyatt."

He grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her mouth to his. Softly, he said, "Alright. It's high time I become a real father to Christian. And…a real lover to you. But, Mal, if things go the right way, I will want to marry you. I hope you know that."

Her eyes widened, them watered again. "I…but…really? What about all the other girls and your reputation?"

He sighed and leaned his forehead against hers. "You're the only want I want, Mal. You have been for years. And I could care less about my reputation. I just…want to be with you and Christian."

She laughed and threw her arms around his neck. "I can't believe this is happening. I always thought that you didn't care." His arms wrapped around her tightly. "But now you know why I pushed you away. You do forgive me, don't you?"

She turned her head and kissed him tenderly, her lips curved. "I wouldn't want you near my kid if I didn't forgive you."

He smiled. "So, can I protect you now and stay with you?"

"Well…alright. If you want." She smiled again and pulled herself up, with a bit of trouble thanks to her leg.

He stood up as well, a blushing staining his cheeks as he rubbed at his red eyes. "God, I can't believe I cried like that. I fell like a wimp now."

She slapped his stomach with affection. "You're not a wimp. Now, er, I guess we go outside."

Wyatt's eyes widened as he realized that the entire office had probably heard his blubbering. "Oh. Hell." She laced her with his. "Come on, Wyatt. It won't be too bad."

"The hell it won't," he muttered under his breath. She grinned, reaching for her dreaded crutches. "They said I'll be released from the hospital soon."

"Really?"

"Yeah," she said, adjusting her crutches under her arms. "So, if you're sure you want to stay with me, we'll have to go to your house or mine."

"Mine." He said quickly, holding his shoulders back as they opened the door. His face heated when everyone stumbled back from the door and crashed onto the floor. In spite of his embarrassment, he grinned. "How subtle."

Eight bright-faced teens glanced up at him. "Er, uh, we were, er, uh—" Colt trailed off and plucked something off the floor, finding the tiny object quite fascinating. Christian was having a laughing attack at the moment, and was not helping matters any.

"We were actually, uh…Robin, why don't you finished," Beast Boy said, earning a glare from his teammate.

"No, actually, you were doing just fine yourself. Do explain."

Beast boy faced heated considerably. Thankfully, Twain interrupted, stepping carefully over each teen that was sprawled out in the floor. "If your little emotional outburst is through, lets get down to business."

Scrambling up, some needing more help than other, they followed Twain in. When all had settled down, Twain sat on the edge of his desk. "Alright, now that we've gotten some arrangements done, Ortega, Waylin, and I decided it would be best if you went to the school dance."

"School dance? You mean the Winter Formal that coming up this month?" Hannah asked.

"Yes."

"But…why?" Beast Boy glanced at his teammates. "Don't we need to…I dunno, try and find this guy?"

"I don't know if you noticed, but he has his eyes on your five girls here. We don't need to find him. He'll come straight to them."

Silence settled over everyone before Robin asked, "So, in other words, their bait once again."

Twain sighed and rubbed the migrate pounding at his temple. "No, actually, that's not the case. What I figure is that he won't attack any more girls, because he wants you five. So, to make it seem like there is nothing wrong, we thought that it would be smart to have you do something together, and this dance is perfect. So…no more walking the streets for you, titans."

"Thank God," Raven muttered.

Twain gave her a dull look. "So, for the time being, you'll act like normal teens, those of you who already haven't been doing just that. So, for this dance, which is on the 20th, Marty and Darcy will fix each on of you up. Yes, every one of you. For those of you who have no idea who Darcy and Marty are, they are clothes and make-up…adjusters." He raised an eyebrow at his own comment, but shook his head. "Since we only have seven days until the dance, you will be receiving visitors from Darcy and Marty. They will measure you, and do whatever they do, and will come once again on the 20th. Now, I've been informed that you, Judson, are scheduled for release tomorrow."

"So soon? Wow." Mallory cut a glance at Wyatt, who gave her a lopsided grin. God, she so loved that man.

"Yes, well, we need to know exactly where you will be staying. You, Hannah, on the other hand, will still be at the hospital come the twentieth. You've still got a few surgeries to go through."

"Great," Hannah muttered, glancing down at her casts with a scowl.

"That reminds me, Hannah. I was informed of a few…scars, that interest me." Her eyes snapped up to Twains. "Excuse me?"

"I receive a call a few days ago from one of your doctors. They say you have suspicious whip markings on your back. Did the White Rose Killer do that?" He leaned forward and cut a glance at Ethan, who visibly blanched.

"I, er, uh—"

"Miss Carson, this is not a hard question to answer. Did he or didn't he?"

"No, he didn't."

"Then who did?"

She said nothing, just stared at her fingers. "Miss Carson?"

She still kept quiet. "I can do nothing for you if you don't answer me—"

"It was the mayor." All eyes snapped to Ethan, who was staring at the toes of his shoes. "He was the one who did it."

Taken aback, Twain started at the young teen. "That mayor?" He glanced at Hannah. "The mayor beat you?

"I, uh…yes. Countless times." Hannah tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear.

"And you didn't come to us because…?"

"No one believed me. I told the counselor at my school, but she said that I was only looking for attention. Why would anyone believe me when it is the mayors word against mine? Hell, everyone is scared to death of the walrus."

"Is there any evidence that proves that he beat you? A witness maybe?"

Without thinking, Hannah looked directly at Ethan. "Ah, so, Mr. Matthews, you witnessed everything."

"Yeah," he muttered, "and so did the entire house. He wasn't too subtle about it. But he threatened them that if they told, well, the threats ranged from what each person feared."

"Alright, I'll get on that later. But for now, just go home and act like everything's hunky-dory. Alright?"

"Fine," came the muttered response. "Good. You can go now." As they piled out, Twain rubbed his head before remembering about Mallory. "Judson!" Mallory walked back in. "Yeah."

He tapped at the piece of paper he had laid out with a long, tan finger. "Write down you address and phone number at the place you'll be staying." She did so and then walked out.

Twain groaned leaned his head against the desk. God, he couldn't wait until the WRK was behind bars.

* * *

"Hey, Ro—er, ah, Starfire," Mallory called out, leaning against Wyatt's car. 

"Yes?" The redhead turned back to Mallory, Christian in her arms.

"I, ah, hate to asks this but…do you think you can keep Christian for awhile until the WRK is captured? I mean, now that he's after us, I would feel safer if he was with you. I can't protect him like you can, and I know that this is asking a lot and I'll pay you for your trouble—"

"I would love to keep him until the killer is behind the bars."

"Are you sure? I mean—"

"It is an honor, Mallory." With a grin, Starfire sat Christian down so he could run to his mother.

Scooping her son into her arms, Mallory rained kisses along his face. Christian giggled and buried his head in his mother's shoulder, taking in her familiar scent.

"I'm gunna miss you, mommy."

"I'm going to miss you too, baby. But after all this is over, I want you to get know your dad better, okay?"

Christian glanced up and stared at Wyatt. "But I thought he didn't want me."

"Oh, he does, baby, and I'll explain it to you later, but now, gimme a kiss and go with Starfire. Alright?"

"Otay." With a kiss goodbye, Christian jumped out of her arms and waddled/ran to Starfire's open arms.

Mallory pushed down the hurt at seeing her baby go, but brushed back the tears and turned to Wyatt. She gave him a watery smile. "So, what do we do now?"

He kissed her quickly then loaded her crutches into the back of his old black pick-up. "I thought you wanted me to get to know Christian better?"

"I do," she said, watching him as he walked to the drivers side. "But I want us to catch up a little." He did a double-take at the look that crossed her face, and had to laugh. "You're not as innocent as you appear, huh?"

She grinned. "You have no idea."

* * *

I had such a serious writers black for a while, so that's one reason why this took so long, but, well, I thought it was high time you peeps know about Wyatt and all that stuff. See, he's not such a bad guy. Well, anyways, until next time! 


	26. Chapter Twenty Five: January 14th

Er, yeah, okay, so I did do dome serious repeating in chappie twenty-four, but it was only so you could see everything from Wyatt's point of view on how things happened. Anyway…I have become, like, so obsessed with My Chemical Romance it's not even funny, but that has nothing to do with anything so…on with show! Oh, and, uh, this is dealing with the titans…just had to get the whole Wyatt/Mallory thing outta the way. It was driving me nuts… Does Christian act unusual? Like he can't be believed? If so, then I'll make him act more like a two year old…but hey, until this chapter is posted, he'll just act him the way I want him too. ;) So, uh, just…give me your feedback and I'll do what I can about him. Personally, I just made him out to be an huge genius, even at such a young age, and I was going to clarify that later on, like when his older and in the epilogue, but, hey, he can be a normal kid if that's what you want. Yeah. This is one long author's note…I really gotta stop with these. --

* * *

_Stupid idiots. Didn't they know better than to try that with him? Didn't they know that keeping them with bodyguards would not save them? And the people of Jump City depended on the police to protect them. _

_These bodyguard were a pain in the ass. How stupid could one get? All he had to do was slit a throat and he would have the women. One man couldn't protect one woman. Simple logic. Though they were provably thinking the knight-in-shining-armor crap. 'Oh, my dear maiden, I will gladly give up my life so you may live!' The White Rose Killer snorted. Little did they know that they _would_ be giving up their lives to protect them. When would men realize that women were useless? They weren't worth even worrying over, much less dying for. _

_But if they wanted to die for their loves, then why not give them what they want? He grinned as he sharpened his knife. It would be absolutely perfect. With allhis victim he would murder their man in front of their eyes. Ooh, that sounded brilliant. That way when he took them, no one would follow and they would be so pain ridden that they would not fight back. He was a freaking genius. Only problem was deciding on which girl was his first victim._

_After he finally rid of the five girls, he would go into seclusion and lead a semi-normal life. The White Rose Killer sighed as he laid out five photographs that he had taken of the girls, without their consent of course. He had gotten lucky with the redhead, catching her in a state of undress, her arms above her head as she tied up her hair. Maybe she would be his first victim. She was a gorgeous creature with a body any man would die to have. But he wouldn't have to die to get it, now would he? With a desire-filled sigh, the White Rose Killer traced the girls curves with a long finger. But…there was the other four to pick from. _

_His eyes traveled to Hannah Carson Jones. She was a beautiful thing and had an attitude to go with it. If there was one thing he loved more than having an unwilling woman beneath him, it was a woman with an attitude. _

_Which brought him to lady number three. The dark one wasas full of attitude as one could get. She, as was the redhead, had been caught in a state if undress. He made surehe got them with barley any clothes on. It was just more entertaining that way. She was dressed in nothing more than a black bra and underwear. So arousing. The White Rose Killer jerked his eyes away from the picture to glance at the forth._

_Mallory Judson. With careful digging, he had found out the girls name and everything else he needed to know. Though she had a son, she would be a joy to rape. It would be nice, for a change, to slam into a girl and have nothing block his path like a maidenhead. So maybe she could be the one he went for first…_

_But Harley Waylin was just too delectable to pass up. And seeing who her father was… The White Rose Killer leaned back in his chair with a groan. Decision, decisions. Who would he pick? These decision shouldn't be so hard. Maybe he would…roll dice? No, not roll dice. How crèche was that? Maybe picking names out of a hat…well, still childish for a criminal mastermind like himself, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Scribbling down the names of his victims on scraps of paper, the White Rose Killer grabbed the hat next to him and dumped the names into it. _

_Closing his eyes, he extracted a piece of paper and read the name. His lips curled. Perfect. Just the girl he had wanted. _

_

* * *

_

"This is really starting to piss me off." Robin muttered under his breath, and received a gentle smack against the side of his head.

"Language, Robin."

"Yeah," Christian mimicked, "language, Robin."

"Shut up, kid." He glanced down at the little boy who had his arms crossed over his tiny chest.

"Nope. You just gotta deal with me."

"No, I don't."

"Uh-huh."

"Nuh-uh."

"Uh-huh."

"Nuh—"

"I'm going to have to agree with Christian there." Starfire grinned when Robin glared at her.

"Why are you defending the kid? You're supposed to be on my side." Robin muttered.

"He's just so much cuter, you see—"

"Cuter? How can you get cuter than me?" Robin asked with a fake pout.

"Everyone's cuter than you." Christian said, pointing a tiny finger at him and laughing hysterically.

"Why you little—" And Robin was up and running around, chasing the little boy. Christian squealed, loving the game, and darted out of Robin's grasp.

Robin's eyes widened in mock surprise. "That little bugger got away from me. How did he get away from me?"

Starfire shook her head and lounged back against the couch, watching the show with a grin. Robin grabbed the little boy and, with a smirk in her direction, whispered something to him. He was quiet for a moment, listening to what the teen said, and then he nodded his head furiously.

Knowing something was up, Starfire straightened and slowly stood up, eyes trained on the two boys.

"You are up to something." She said with one eye narrowed.

They gave her an innocent look. "Us? Of course we're not up to anything. We are merely…playing."

"Umm-hmm. Just…kept your playing over there."

"Of course." Wary of the two, Starfire slowly walked around the couch, eyes never leaving them. Robin let Christian down and now they both just stared at her. She blinked.

"Hey, kid, you ready?"

Christian looked up and gave him a toothy grin. "Yep."

Without a second thought, Starfire bolted, Robin and Christian hot on her heels. She slid into her room and almost made it to the safety of her bathroom when she was grabbed gently around the waist and pulled against a hard body. She laughed. Not one to be left out at anything, Christian grabbed hold of her leg.

"We gotcha." Christian giggled.

"Yes, you did. Is now the time to surrender?"

Robin and Christian exchanged evil looks. "Oh, there is no way you're surrendering." Robin stated with a smirk.

She turned her head to watch Robin and his adorable grin. "But is that not the way wars are handled when one side knows they are defeated and do not wish for more warfare?"

Robin blinked. "Well, yes…but my dear Starfire…" He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "This war has just begun."

"Well, since I am at liberty to fight back…" Starfire grinned before she rammed an elbow into Robin's midsection, hard enough to make him lose his hold on her. Christian laughed as Robin stumbled back, holding his stomach, but Starfire grabbed the little boy and carefully dangled him upside down. Christian giggled as she flipped him back around and propped him on her hip.

"Well, my dear Robin, it seems as if I have a hostage."

Robin grinned, rubbing his sore stomach. "Well, then, what do you say we fight for him?"

"As you wish."

"But lets set some ground rules. No flying, no weapons, and if one draws blood, they instantly lose, got it?"

"Sounds fair." Starfire looked down at Christian, who was grinning like a fool. "Can you tie me up like a hostages?"

"Of course, if that is what you wish."

"Yea! But…Inna do this in the big room."

"Living-room?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, dat room."

"Fine with me." Robin walked into the living-room, already plotting his attack, while Starfire searched for something to tie to the little boy up. She settled with a shoe strings, tied loosely around his tiny arms and feet. He could easily get out of it, and wanted Starfire to do it tighter, but she refused. So he pouted.

Robin and Starfire pushed the furniture out of the way to give them more 'fighting' room, although they knew it was just a game to please Christian. They exchanged grins before they got into their positions.

"No hard feelings when I win, right?" Robin asked confidently.

"Are you sure you'll be the one to win?"

"Of course."

She shook her head and got into position. "Who goes first?"

"Ladies always go first."

"Then, by all means, go first." It didn't take long for the insult to sink into his brain, and for a moment, he was caught off guard. "I'm not a woman—"

Starfire struck quickly, turning her back to him, sinking down to her knees and twisting, one leg outstretched, kicking his feet out from under him. He hit the ground and for a spilt second his eyes widened before narrowing. He flipped up onto his feet with cat-like grace, in a crouch position, and dove for her. The force knocked her to the ground, him on top, but she quickly flipped, pinning his legs with her own, hands tightly at his side.

"Not bad, Star. Not bad." She smiled down at him, Christian cheering in the background.

"And you thought you were the victor."

"Oh," he said with a mischievous glint in his gold eyes. "The wars not over yet."

She raised an eyebrow, but understood what he meant when she found herself flat on her back with no way to escape him. What had he done to get her like this? He had moved so fast she didn't even know what had happened until her arms were above her head.

"How did you do that?"

He grinned down at her, a stray lock of hair falling over his eyes. "It's a secret."

It didn't take long for them to realize the position they were in and, with wide eyes, Robin tried to pull back.

"Hey, hey, hey. Wait a sec, here, misters." Robin and Starfire glanced over at the little boy, who had already gotten out of his 'chains'.

With his hands on his hips, he marched over to them. "I gotsta position for you two."

"Kid, I really hope you mean proposition." Robin said with a raised brow.

Christian blinked, then nodded. "Dat's what I said."

"Good. I was about to ask what your mother lets you watch." He muttered under his breath, still highly aware that Starfire was still pinned beneath him, his hands still holding her arms above her head. He tried to pull back, but Christian slapped his hand.

"Don't move."

Robin and Starfire exchanged looks, but followed the kids game. "What do you want, Christian?" Robin asked, cringing when Starfire moved beneath him. She froze.

"Did I hurt you in someway?'

"No, just…don't move."

She blinked, but made no move. "Now, kid, what do you want?" Robin's eyes narrowed at the little boy.

Christian's grinned mischievously. "I've been tinking…"

"Just get on with it kid. I'm sure Star's not exactly comfortable right now." To tell the truth, Starfire was more than comfortable, but she wasn't going to say anything.

"A'right, a'right. You gotsta kiss."

The teens' eyes widened. "You've got to be kidding me." Robin said of a lengthy pause of shock.

"Nope. I serious. You gotsta kiss her or…" He pondered for a moment before grinning. "I'll scream."

"You'll scream? And how would that help matters any?" Robin instantly regretted asking. With a grin, Christian opened his mouth and shrieked as loud as he could. Robin cringed as the sound slammed through his ears painfully. "Alright, alright, stop screaming."

Christian closed his mouth. "Promise?"

"If it'll make you stop screaming."

"Otay." Christian stood there and waited patiently, but nothing happened. "Aren't you gonna kiss her?"

"You are a perverted little boy."

"Nuh-uh. I just think it's about time you kissed her."

"What do you mean about time? I've done it before."

"I'm sure you have, buts that was prolly 'fore you hurted her, so now, you gunna make its all better."

"One kiss is not going to make things better, Christian," Starfire said, tilting her head to watch the little boy. "Things like this just can't be—"

Christian opened his mouth and screeched again. Robin let out a foul curse. "I'm sorry about this, Starfire." Slowly, to make the little boy happy, Robin pressed his mouth tenderly against Starfire's. He pulled back quickly when he heard silence, but Christian screamed again.

Robin's eyes narrowed. "I kissed her so stop screaming."

Christian looked at him with a grin. "Too short."

"Too short? Kid, you don't even know what you're taking about—" Christian opened his mouth again, but Robin had already slanted his mouth over Star's again. This time, he took things slowly, savoring the taste of her lips.

Behind them Christian blinked innocently. He hadn't meant for them to do it _that_ long, but they were still going at it a minute later. Christian toddled off in search of his stuffed toy, leaving them to their…kissing.

Vaguely aware that Christian walked away, Robin pulled back to glance down at her. "I'm sorry, Star. He was starting to give me a major headache with all his screaming."

"It is…fine," she said softly, looking up at him with innocent eyes. His heart skipped a beat. Damnit, why did this one girl have such power of him? It shouldn't be possible, he should have never let it happen. The stupid rule he had made about not dating teammates seemed worthless. Now, it wasn't the only reason why he would never be with her. He couldn't—no, _wouldn't_—be with her because he was so damn afraid of losing her. After his parents death, he had built an unbreakable shield around his shattered heart, swearing to himself that _no one_ would ever get past the barrier that kept him from emotional pain. And, damnit, Starfire had managed to somehow create a crack in his defense.

Robin rolled off her and got grudgingly to his feet. How could he have let her in like that? He had tried so hard to keep himself emotionally guarded from people, yet a naive alien had worked her way so deep into his heart that he actually couldn't stop thinking about her. And the serious problem there was when he thought of her, it wasn't just picturing him making love to her, but things like…like… _commitment_. Like the whole 'I want to be with you forever and getting down on one knee thing' _God_, that was not what he need to be thinking right now. He was _not_ going to marry Starfire and he was _not_ going to think about that again. His gamophobia was really working up at the moment. Marriage, or the talk of marriage, had him cringing and wishing to slam his head repeatedly against the wall…therefore losing consciousness and forgetting everything he had thought of that day. Hey, he'd done it before.

"You are…not mad at me, are you?" Starfire asked as she pulled herself to her feet.

"No," he snapped, flinching at his own tone. "I'm not mad at you, Star," he said, his tone softer. "It's just…it's nothing."

Eyebrows drawn together, Starfire nodded. "Robin…may I ask you a personal question?"

Robin turned to face her. "Sure…I guess. What about?"

She wrung her hand, not making eye contact with him. "Do you…remember that…girl I saw leaving your apartment?"

Robin cringed, dreading her question. "Yeah. What about her?"

"Did you…go through with the mating ritual of earth…the…sex?"

He groaned inwardly. "Why do you want to know, Star?"

She lifted innocent eyes to his. "It is merely a question. Nothing more." She dropped her hands to her side. "Might you be…answering my question?"

"Starfire…"

"Yes or no will suffice, Robin."

"Yes."

She blinked. "Yes in you did perform the mating ritual called 'sex' or yes in other terms as in 'yes, you will tell me'?"

He ran his hands through his hair. "Yes, as in I did…have sex with her…"

Only silence greeted him. He risked looking at her and his heart dropped into his stomach. She stared at him dully, no emotion on her face, and nodded. She walked away from him in search of Christian, leaving him standing there.

"Whoa, hold on. Why did you ask me that?" He chased after her, matching her long strides with his own.

"I do not know," she said softly. "I wish I had not."

He sighed. "Look, Star, I only did it—"

"I do not need to know your reasons. You are your own man, Robin, and can do what you please when ever you wish."

"But—why did you ask in the first place?" He asked again.

"I told you that already."

He groaned. "Yeah, but that wasn't a very good excuse."

"You have no business knowing why I asked it."

"Yes, I do, seeing as it was so private." He ground out, his temper boiling.

"But it is my opinion and my opinion only. You have no right to ask or know if I do not wish to tell you."

"Damnit, Starfire, why did you ask me?"

Her fists clenched and unclenched at her side before she answered, "Because I was hoping you would have told me that you hadn't."

He reached out to touch her shoulder, but she jerked away as if his touch burned her skin. "Just…go." She walked to her room and almost had the door open when he grabbed her back to face him…and recoiled when he saw the flood of tears trail down her cheeks. "Robin, let me go," she bit out, her voice throaty with hurt.

"Starfire—"

"Just go!" She yelled, and shoved him so hard that he flew clear across the room and crashed into the wall. Pushing himself up on his elbows, he watched her slam her door and flinched. Christian walked out of his room, toy train in his hand, and his pale eyes staring down at Robin. "What happened?"

Robin let out a depressed sigh and rubbed his sore back. "Nothing kid. Nothing at all."

* * *

Raven walked into Starfire's room carefully, making sure she knocked before she entered. "Starfire?" she called out, but received no answer. Raven counted to three, flicked on the light, and stepped out of the way as a digital clock was hurled out. Aiming to hit Robin probably, Raven mused. 

"Jesus, Rae, you sure you want to go in there?" Beast Boy asked, throwing a sideway glance at Robin, who was cradling his head in his hands. "She seems severely pissed."

"She called me, so I'll risk it." Raven's eyes narrowed at the back of Robin's head before she closed the door.

The first thing she realized was the huge mess. Obviously, in a fit of rage, Starfire had torn her room apart. Second thing that caught her attention was the form huddled in the corner of the room, body curled up defensively.

"Starfire?" Raven asked, walking closer to the figure. She froze when Star spoke, not knowing if she should move further. Starfire's voice dull with pain. "I knew it was going to happen sooner or later, but I didn't know it would hurt this bad. I now know why you chose to keep your emotions to yourself. Nothing is worth the pain."

"Star…" Raven trailed off, slowly walking to the depressed Tameranian. Crouching down, Raven touched the girl's shoulder hesitantly. It shook beneath her hand. God, what was she supposed to say?

Settling down in front of the girl, Raven let out a sigh. "Do you…want to talk about it?"

"There is nothing to say." Came the dull reply.

Raven let out a huff of breath, running her fingers through her hair. Okay, this was going nowhere. "You know, the best way to stop the hurt is to talk about it. It's worse if you keep it bottled up inside you."

"Yet you do all the time. Advice does not work when one does not take it themselves."

Raven blinked. "Okay…but I do that because of my—"

"Power, yes. We have all heard the excuse before."

"It's not an excuse—" Raven argued, but was cut off by Starfire's detached voice.

"Yes it is and you know it. It is your way to escape. I do wish you would stop hiding and face the real world like the rest of us."

Raven drew back, shocked at the enormous change in her usually happy-go-lucky teammate. Since when did the optimistic alien become so…human?

"Starfire, look, this is not about me. This is about you. I just…don't want to see you like this. But if you don't want to talk, then I'll just…go back home." Raven stood, her shoulders rigid, and walked to the door. Just as she reached for the handle, Starfire said softly, "I did not mean to hurt you, Raven."

"You didn't hurt me." But Raven made no move to walk out.

"I…do wish to talk to you, Raven, But it just…hurts." Her voice broke as she buried her head in her hands.

Unsure of what do to, Raven slowly walked back to her. Carefully sitting down, Raven waited for her to say something. Starfire lifted her eyes to Raven, and for the first time in Raven's life, she was really worried. Starfire's eyes were dark with pain, her usually joyful face wet with tears.

"Why do I love him still after he told me that there was nothing between us? He even…preformed the ritual of love with another woman, yet I still had held some slim thread of hope that there would be more between us."

"It's…normal for you to have hoped for something more between you and Robin." Raven said slowly, unsure if it was the right thing to say.

"But I _knew_ that he didn't want me, yet I still let it hurt."

"You can't help it if you hurt."

"Yes, but it hurts so bad. It feels as if… my heart is being ripped into tiny shreds…and all I can feel is the pain. Nothing else. I try to think of something happy and joyful, but then I picture him with…someone else, and it hurts. I have never felt this much agony…ever. Is this what you went through when Beast Boy was with Terra?"

Raven's calm demeanor broke for a split second as her eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

"Did you hurt this much when Beast Boy was with Terra?"

Raven thought she could lie to the girl, and say no, but she decided against it. "Sort of. It was more of jealousy then. But I'm not in love with Beast Boy."

Starfire glared uncharacteristically at her. "Why you chose to lie to yourself is beyond me."

Raven's eyes narrowed. "I'd appreciate it if you quite calling me a liar."

"I shall stop calling you a liar when you stop becoming one."

Raven bit back her anger and gritted her teeth. "Why don't we talk about _your _problem."

Starfire sighed. "As you wish." She pulled herself up and walked to the bed slowly, crawling onto it and burring her head in her pillow. "I just want the pain to go away," she said, her voice muffled by the pillow.

Raven opened her mouth to say something when the door opened. Starfire's head shot up as she glared at whoever was at the door.

"Go away," she snapped.

"Oh…" Christian pulled back from the room, his eyes hurt, but Starfire quickly said, "I am so sorry, Christian." Pulling her body from the comfort of her bed, Starfire walked to the little boy, who was furiously rubbing at his teary eyes.

"Are you mad at me?" He asked innocently, turning his gray eyes to her.

"No, my _rynoa_, I am not mad at you."

He clutched his batman to his chest. "I didn't mean to hurted you."

Her eyebrows drew together. "What do you mean?"

Tears overflowed from his eyes as he threw himself into her arms. "I only wanted you to geted back together. I didn't know it would hurted you. I thought dat if he kissed you, you'd get back together."

Starfire stroked the little boys hair as he sobbed into her shoulder. "Oh, Christian, it wasn't your fault, baby. This was going to happen no matter what. Please don't blame yourself. If it's anyone's fault, it would be mine."

"But I caused it," he sobbed, his tiny hands fisting in her shirt.

"No, you didn't. There was nothing that could have stopped this, and even that kiss didn't cause it. _I_ was the one who brought it up, and I went mad all of the sudden for no reason. There is no need to blame yourself for _my_ mistake." She pulled the little boy back to wipe away his tears. She forced a watery smile. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Umm-hmm." He rubbed at his eyes, then leaned back against her. "I'm sleepy."

Raven laid a hesitant hand on Starfire's shoulder. "I'm going to go back into the main room. You should get some rest yourself, Star. Take a nap with him and if you want, I'll be here with when you wake up and we can really talk then, okay?"

Starfire nodded, picking the little boy up. He leaned his head on her shoulder and watched Raven wearily. "I cannot thank you enough, Raven. I know you do not wish to do the talking with me, but I am grateful that you will. I would…appreciate it if you were here when I awake."

Raven nodded. "No problem."She walked out of the room, giving on last glance at her heartbroken friend before closing the door.

Starfire pushed down another onslaught of tears and smiled down at the little boy.

"Would you mind napping with me, _rynoa_?"

He shook his head and rubbed his good eye with a tiny fist. Starfire sat him down to work off his little boots and searched for something more comfortable for him to wear instead of jeans and a sweater. "What does…rynoa mean?"

"It is a Tameranian endearment that can mean 'my love' or on your case, 'my darling child'. It depends on how it is used."

"Oh." He lifted his arms when she slipped on his Power Ranger pajamas. He crawled under the covers when she went to change as well, and burrowed beneath the warm sheet, falling asleep almost instantly, his batman clutched to his chest.

Starfire walked out of the bathroom, her movement lacking all emotions. She smiled softly at the little bundle under her covers and gently slid beneath them. Christian immediately curled against her side and didn't move after that.

Starfire stroked the boy's hair, staring at the ceiling. Why was she acting like this? She knew that it was bound to happen, yet she had thrown a fit because of it. Robin had made it perfectly clear that he didn't want her, yet, like the idiot she was, she held onto a slim chance that he would change his mind. She was so stupid. Robin would never want her. He proved that when he said that she was nothing more than a friend and when he took that blonde bimbo to his bed.

Yet she was hurting so bad, though she knew it was going to happen. It hurt worse than if he had said he wanted her, then took the other girl to his bed. _I guess_, she mused, blinking back tears, _that it hurts so bad because now you know that you will never be with him. Now, it is a sure thing, with no light of hope. It's over. Nothing will happen between us, save for the friendship we had at the tower, where I was just a comrade, a teammate. Why did I take things out of proportion? I let myself believe that there could be something between us, even after he said he didn't want me. Why do I have to be so stubborn? Why can't I just take it to heart that ROBIN DOES NOT WANT ME! _

Starfire tried to swallow the lump in her throat as she decided that she would act like nothing had happened. Around him, she would be nothing but his friend. And…she would date. Yes, she would find someone that would want her. Starfire sighed, closing her eyes and holding Christian closer to her. Maybe Jonathan would still let her take up his offer on a date.

* * *

"I didn't know she would take it so hard," Robin said softly, rubbing his sore shoulders. 

"Dude, you had sex with another girl. Of course she took it hard. She's like, head-over-heels in love with you and now she know there won't be anything between ya'll." Beast Boy said.

"But she already knew that."

"Yes, but now there is _no_ way for ya'll to be together. She knows that now, which is why she's taking it so hard. Just give her awhile to let it all sink in, and then she'll be up and around in no time…though now I don't doubt that she'll be dating other guys, seeing as she can't be alone forever. Star's the type who has to have someone with her." Beast Boy said slowly, as if he were talking to a little child.

"Beast Boy," Robin snarled, "shut up."

"Dude, why should you care? You're the one who put her in this position. In all fairness, this is your fault."

"I know that!" Robin snarled.

"Then stop complaining. If you can't handle your decision like a man, then I lose all respect for you, dude. You wanted this, so now you've gotta deal with it. You can't expect someone like Starfire to be alone. And if you do just so you can feel better, I'd say you're no better than any villain we've ever fought." Beast Boy stood up, heading for the door, but he turned back and addressed Raven. "I'm going for a walk to cool off a bit. You can stay here with him if you want, but I can't even look at him without being disgusted so I gotta get outta here."

Robin flinched, staring at nothing in particular. Raven, shocked beyond words, followed Beast Boy out. "Starfire wants me to come back."

"Fine." Beast Boy stormed to the elevators, his anger threatening to burst. How dare Robin be so selfish. How could someone, who Beast Boy had thought a friend, turn out to be so damn stupid?

"Beast Boy," Raven said, trying to catch up with his long strides. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not. I just want to wring his no-good neck." Raven laid a hand on his arm.

"Calm down, Beast Boy." She said monotonously. "Just…think of something calming and—" Raven had no time to even gasp as he slammed her body against his and kissed her.

* * *

I bet I've got a bunch of enemies now, especially you Rob/Star fans. I know, Robin seems like a jerk, but, er…well, if I say anything, I'd be spoiling everything. All I gotsta say is don't give up on our Robin just yet. So…until next time! 

Oh, yeah, and I want to thank fell4adeadguy, who is now my proofreader for these chapters. Anyone else notice that I'm a comma-happy freak? I do. But, er, about the mistakes, fell4adeadguy looked for mistakes and all, but I didn't get the corrected chapter, so I did all the grammar and stuff. I'm sorry if there are mistakes. I really try to make sure I don't have any mistakes, but I guess I don't catch them all when I look for them. Hopefully, the next chapter I do won't be so bad. So, again, I'm sorry if there are mistakes. Well, until next time.


	27. Chapter Twenty Six: January 14th

Sine I got a lot of questions on the whole 'why didn't Raven use her powers' thing, one, it was because it was a dream, and two, her mind was so cloudy with fear, it didn't even cross her mind. The only thing she could think was that she was going to be raped and probably be killed. Usually, though it's never happened to me, when you are so scared, you don't think clearly, and in the end it happens to be your downfall. So, hope the clears things up a bit…If not, then…er…I don't know what to say…

* * *

Beast Boy pulled back and leaned his forehead against Raven's. She was blinking rapidly at his sudden kiss.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, letting her slid down his body so her feet could touch the ground. "I was just so furious at Robin that I wasn't thinking clearly and took your advice the wrong way." But then he grinned. "At least now I'm not so mad."

She let out a breath. "Well, I guess that's a good thing." She pulled back to watch his eyes. "I know Robin is acting stupid, but why _are_ you so mad?"

He sighed, glancing up as the elevator door opened and a young man with pale brown hair stepped in. He glanced at them with a raised eyebrow, then gazed down at the floor, gluing himself to the farthest wall from them.

"It's just that Star is so innocent and so naïve and Rob…" He noticed his mistake quickly and Beast Boy's eyes snapped to the other guy in the elevator, but he seemed to be ignoring them, and playing with his flip-phone. Beast Boy glanced back down at Raven. "But the idiot knows how fragile she is, and yet he does this to her. It just…disgusts me."

"But…well, you're right. I understand that he's trying to break this off easily, but he should have done it earlier. He waited too damn long for this." Raven said.

"Yeah, and I hate seeing her so hurt. I have a serious feeling that when we, er, go back to how things were, she won't be the same."

"You're right. But…there's nothing that we can do."

Beast Boy sighed and kissed her forehead. "I know. We'll just…have to deal with it. Everything has already changed."

"I know." The door opened and the occupants slid out, the brown haired young man going one way and Raven and Beast Boy going the other.

Pushing open the door, Raven wrapped her coat around her slim form as they walked out in to the biting cold.

"I still can't believe we have to go to that stupid dance," she muttered under her breath as they strolled down the sidewalk.

"At least I'll finally be able to see you in a real dress."

Raven threw him a dark scowl and he laughed softly, taking her small hand in his. He watched as she jumped at the unexpected contact, but slowly she adjusted and laced her fingers with his. "I don't fell too bad, seeing as you're the one who has to wear a tux and clip-on tie."

"Don't remind me. I wonder if we can pick our own clothes or if that Marty guy will do it," Beast Boy pondered, pulling Raven closer as the made their way through the throng of people clogging the walkway.

"There is no way that I will let that man pick my dress. He'll end up sticking me in a pink frilly thing. But I don't exactly enjoy shopping, so it's a lose-lose situation."

"Maybe I'll call Twain and ask him. If you can pick your own dress, then maybe you could talk Star into going and try to make her feel better, if at all possible." Beast Boy offered, muttering a low apology when he bumped shoulders with a girl around his age.

"Don't worry about it," she said sweetly, ignoring the lethal glare form Raven. She walked away from them, hips swaying seductively. Beast Boy's eyes followed her, and his eyes weren't exactly trained on the back of her head. Raven jerked her hand from his and stormed away with as much dignity as she could muster.

Beast Boy snapped out of his trance and jogged up to Raven, his stride slowing so he wouldn't pass her. Raven turned emotionless eyes to him.

"What? I wasn't watching her butt if that's what your thinking. She had something stuck to her, that's all."

"Yes, your eyes," Raven muttered, shoving her hands inside her long, ankle-length black trench coat. Now that she was at Jump City Private School, she could dress the way she pleased. At the moment, her black apparel fit her mood rather nicely. Raven's fist clenched inside her pockets as she tried to appear impassive. Hell, what did she care if he looked at other girls? Just because she had asked him to wait for her didn't mean that he had to. She wasn't exactly worth waiting for anyhow.

"Come on, Raven. Why would I look at other girls when I have a damn good view right now?" Raven snapped her head to the side to glare at him. But he didn't see it because his eyes were trained somewhere else. She turned to face him, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. He chuckled.

"It wouldn't matter anyway," she muttered, turning on her heel and walking forward, the heels of her black boots muffled by the chatter of other people.

Beast Boy blinked, baffled, before he ran up to catch her.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I could care less if you look at other women." Raven pushed down the urge to glance at Beast Boy's expression.

"Are you serious?" He asked darkly.

"Of course I'm serious. Why wouldn't I be? You know there is nothing

between—

"Us, right?" She did glance over at him now. His jaw was clenched tightly as he walked in front of cars to get to the other side. Raven followed behind him, eyebrow raised. She sighed and jogged after him.

"Unfortunately, I don't have long legs like you, so could you slow down a bit?" Raven fished out her leather gloves that she had shoved in her pocket earlier and fought to put them over her frozen hands.

"Did it ever occur to you that I'm trying to get away from you?"

"Nope."

He glared at her over his shoulder. "That was supposed to be a hint."

"I know."

He turned a corner sharply, and, since Raven was still fighting with her gloves, she didn't see the wall. She raised her eyes just as a large brick building came into view. It took her but a few second to realize that she was probably going to hit it. Thankfully, no one had been around when the usual moody half-demon ran smack into a brick wall.

Flying back on her butt, Raven stared at the wall for a moment, blinking rapidly. Had she…actually run into a wall? Since her forehead was pounding from where she had hit it against the building, she raised a hand to it. She pulled back two fingers sticky with blood and bit back a curse.

"Raven?" Beast Boy peeked over the corner, his eyes widening when he saw her sitting on the ground, her forehead skinned and bleeding.

He knelt beside her quickly, lifting her chin with his index finger and gazing down at her eyes.

"What the hell did you do? Run into a wall?" Raven jerked away from him and stood up, dusting her coat off.

"You can't be serious."

"I wasn't paying attention," she muttered, pressing the back of her hand to her lightly skinned forehead.

Behind her, Beast Boy chortled. Raven clenched her teeth, trying desperately to regain her tattered dignity. How the hell did she run into a wall? Good God, she had just pulled a serious Beast Boy.

"Hey, Rae, wait!" He jogged up to her, his face lit up with a smile. "I'm sorry I laughed at you."

Raven snarled at him, lowing her hand now that the bleeding had stopped. Seeing as she couldn't even look at him, Raven walked down a deserted alley in hopes that he had gotten lost. But luck was not on her side. He grabbed her arm lightly and pulled her to a stop. He was still fighting a grin. She growled and tried to pull away from him.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. It's just hard to believe that you of all people were the one to run into a wall. That sounds like something I would do."

"If you hadn't turned that corner so fast, this wouldn't have happened." Raven jerked on her glove, storming away from him. He caught up with her easily.

"I'm sorry. You just ticked me off with your little comment."

"What comment?"

"The one that you made about not caring if I looked at other girls. You're sending me mixed signal here. You know I want to be with you. And, uh, seeing as I told you I would wait for you…well…I just thought that that meant you wanted to have something with me other than friendship, but if you don't then…tell me so I can stop this now and go my own way. I can wait for you physically if that's what you want, but with the way your acting, I don't know if I should date other girls or not. I mean, you let me kiss you and things, but…hell, I'm not making any sense." Beast Boy groaned and ran a hand through his hair.

"Let me just make this simple. I need to know if there can be something between us. If not, then I need to stop leading myself on. If there is, then we'll just go from there."

Raven felt her heart jump into her throat as she gazed up at him. "You…want to be in a relationship with me?"

He smiled. "Yeah, Rae. I do. Why else would I put up with your attitude for so long?"

She ignored his comment and let out a deep sigh. "I don't know Beast Boy," she admitted. "I've…It's just…I don't know what to do. I've never let myself get close to anyone, and stepping into a relationship is just…"

"Freaking terrifying?"

"Yeah."

Beast Boy leaned down and kissed her chapped lips softly. "Raven, I'm not exactly calm about this either. The only relationship I've ever had turned out horrible. But if you do want to try this out, you've got me here also. You're not in this alone. So…" At the look at her unsure gaze, Beast Boy sighed and tried a different approach. "Okay. Let's try this on. Would you like me to wait so you can decide if you want to try this out or not?"

She bit her lip. "Doesn't a relationship usually include…intimacy and emotion?"

"Er, emotion, I, uh, would think so. But intimacy? Nope. Not all of them do. Most relationships are just…well, I don't know, but it's not all about having sex. If you do decided you want to try this out, there won't be anything like that until you're positive you're ready."

"This is just…weird."

"Yeah, my sentiments exactly. But, until you're ready we won't bring anything that has to do with relationships up, okay?"

Even though she didn't answer, Beast Boy took that as an okay and walked forward. But Raven grabbed his hand, jerking him to a stop.

"Okay."

He blinked. "Okay…I won't bring it up again until you're—"

"No, Beast Boy. I mean okay. Lets try this…relationship thing and see where it takes us. But I don't mean as in boyfriend/girlfriend thing. That's too cliché for me. But…it'll be more than friends…okay?"

Beast Boy's forest green eyes widened. "Are you…sure, Rae? I mean this is a big step—" Raven pulled his head down to kiss him gently, her lips curving slightly against his.

"Yeah. I'm sure."

* * *

After a quick call to Twain, they found that they did get to pick their own formal wear for the dance and that the mayor was paying for everything once again. Still embarrassingly giddy at the fact that she and Beast Boy were, in a way, dating, Raven waited for Starfire to wake up so they could 'travel to the mall of shopping' as Star would say.

Raven took a deep breath. She wondered, and not for the first time, why her powers weren't acting up on her. She would have thought that the emotions she was feeling would have already blown up a lamp or something along those lines, but so far, everything had stayed in contact. She didn't know why this was happening. Maybe…no, that couldn't be right. She could have gotten rid of her father without even going up against him. So, that prospect was out of the question. But then why were her powers under control? It made no sense. But she would figure that out later. Now, she had to calm her beating heart. It was amazing how much this was affecting her. She was only dating Beast Boy.

Her heart flipped. Jeez, she was taking this way too seriously. So what if they were a couple now. It didn't matter. It wouldn't change anything…who the hell was she kidding? It changed everything. Beast Boy and her were dating. As in going places and having romantic evenings without worrying about anything. Jesus, this was big. As in Slade turning himself in. Raven was in a relationship with someone. Her, in a relationship. It just…seemed weird. Too weird. What if—

The door to Starfire's room opened, cutting off Raven's thoughts. Starfire walked out, Christian against her hip, and offered a small smile. "Hello, Friend Raven," she said softly, still not over her heartbreak.

Raven dipped her head in greeting, then asked, "Starfire, do you want to go, er…to the…mall." Raven said the last word as if it were a disease.

"For what?" Christian tugged at a curl, silently telling her that he wanted down. She lowered him to the ground, her eyes never leaving him even as he scampered off to his toys.

"We get to pick our own dress, so I thought that maybe we could get it over with and…_shop_."

Starfire chuckled softly at the way Raven said the word and nodded. "Alright. I just need to change."

She turned around and leveled a stare at Robin. No emotion evident, Starfire asked, "Do you mind watching him or should I take him with us?"

"I'll—"

"Actually, Star, both of us are going to the mall, so he can go with us," Beast Boy offered, the look he turned on Robin leaving no room for discussion.

"Oh. That is fine." Starfire shut her door quietly, leaving Robin staring at Beast Boy with narrowed eyes.

"What the—"

"We are going to talk, Robin, whether you want to or not."

"What's gotten into you? Since when have you ever been so presumptuous with people?"

Beast Boy leaned back against the cushions and grinned at Raven. She blushed lightly, busying herself with Christian, who kept handing her toy after toy, obviously trying to share with her.

"Let's just say I've changed."

* * *

She hated malls with a deadly passion. All the obnoxious girls giggling and drooling over guys with an attitude, or screaming children and parents who were on the verge of slapping their kid was enough to make Raven cringe. Stepping into the Jump City Mall was like walking into hell. And the fact that teenagers all around her age seemed to be the only ones at the mall did not help matters any. Thankfully, all the attention they received was aimed at Star.

The guys seemed to drool and the girls were filled with jealousy, but Raven could care less. All she wanted to do was pick out a dress, maybe get something to eat, and go home.

"Where shall we venture first, Raven?" Starfire asked, oblivious to the fact that men actually stopped and stared at her.

"I have no idea. I guess we just pick a store and browse. They usually have prom dresses out by now. Twain did say this was formal, so I guess finding that section would be our best bet."

"Okay." As they walked into the first store, Raven prayed that they could both find something and quickly get out of the mall. Finding their desired section of clothing, they started to thumb though the dresses. Raven's intent was finding something dark and morbid, whereas Starfire wanted something bright.

"So," Raven stared out slowly, grimacing as she passed a pale pink gown that seemed to be more frill than dress, "how are you taking things now?"

Starfire sighed, plucking a light blue gown from the hanger and walking into a dressing room. Raven grabbed a gown and followed her to the rooms so she could hear Star's answer.

"I am taking it as well as can be expected," she said as she walked into an unoccupied room, Raven taking the one next to her. Raven disrobed quickly and slid the dress on without even taking notice of what it looked like.

"That's good," Raven said hesitantly, completely unused to having conversations that included her trying to offer comfort. "Maybe things'll only get better."

"Maybe," Starfire sighed, stepping out of the room to study her reflection in the mirror. The dress was skin tight, hugging Starfire's curves like a second skin. Raven leaned against the far wall, watching her friend's expression.

Starfire grimaced, glancing at the almost non-existent back of the dress. "I do not feel right in this." Starfire turned to study Raven's dress. "Are you sure you are happy with the yellow of that dress?"

Raven glanced down, her eyes filled with a sick yellow and endless frills. She fought down nausea. "Gross."

Starfire smiled and walked back into her room to change into the apparel she arrived in.

In her dressing room, Raven jerked the vile dress of her body and chucked it as far away from her as possible. "I have never seen anything so disgusting in my entire life," Raven muttered to herself, but Starfire heard her and chuckled.

"I do not know if this is the right place to shop for the gowns of formal. They all looked the same to me."

Raven muttered something incoherent, jerking on her boots and walking out of the small room. "I wished there was a dark place around here that had the type of dress I am looking for."

They walked out of the store, Raven's mouth set in a frown. God, her mind was still filled with the repulsiveness of that stupid dress. Who could actually make something like that?

"Might that be a shop you wish to browse, Raven?" She followed Starfire's finger to a tiny shop that look dark and depressing. But what caught her attention was the gown displayed in the window framed with skeleton lights. The gown was completely sinister, like the clothing from the dark books she read, with a red corset-style bodice strapped with black lace. The gown itself was long, the skirt full and the red silk covered with black lace. Raven blinked, walking to the shop with eagerness. Who would have thought that she would actually want to try on a dress?

"I thought so," Starfire muttered, following her friend into the dark shop. Starfire looked around with a grimace. This was worse then the store 'Hot Topic' which Raven preferred when she actually went to the mall.

Starfire tried to ignore the dark looks she received from the workers at the store and picked up her pace. The tattoo-covered humans with piercing everywhere looked at her as if she were unusual. Maybe it was because of the bright clothes she had opted to wear. Either way, she wanted Raven to try on her clothes and get out.

"Raven," Starfire said when she reached her friend, "might we hurry from the store of depression and odium?"

Raven cut her a glance. "If you don't like it, go back outside." Raven grabbed her size and ventured to the back, leaving Starfire alone with the people who seemed to hate her. With wide eyes, Star scrambled toward the dressing rooms.

Starfire glanced behind her to see each worker starring daggers at her, though their looks were dull. It was their body language that really scared her.

"So, er, how goes your relation with Beast Boy?" Starfire asked. Disgusted at the way she was acting around these people, she straightened her shoulder and stared back at each one with her own dull look. That seemed to do the trick, for the returned to their jobs, occasionally looking at her.

"Well…" Starfire heard the rustle of clothes as Raven answered her question. "We've decided to try the whole relationship thing and see how it works out."

"Oh. So you are the boyfriend and girlfriend now?"

"In a way, I guess," Raven muttered, her back turned to the mirror and studying the back of the dress. Damn. The only way to tie the stupid thing was to lace it up from the back. But damn the dress was gorgeous and dark and sinister and Raven had to have it.

"Starfire?"

"Hmm?" Starfire was glancing at the demented jewelry with a raised eyebrow. Chokers with spikes, earrings with skulls, it was all very strange. But it fit Raven perfectly.

"Could you do me a favor and lace the back up for me?"

"Of course." Starfire pulled herself away from the jewelry to walk back into the dressing rooms. Catching sight of Raven's room, Starfire ventured in after asking permission.

"Oh, Raven, you look wonderful!" Starfire exclaimed when she looked at her friend. Raven blinked, yet a trace of pink lit her cheeks.

"Thanks," she muttered. "Could you lace the back up for me?"

"Of course."

The only problem with the dress was the corset. Raven had no idea it was real until Starfire laced the dress up with all her strength. Raven could hardly breath as Star jerked on the strings and Raven pressed her hand against her chest it hopes of breathing. The material of the corset was hard and Raven thanked God that it was not made of whalebone as the corsets used to be in the old days. Starfire finished quickly and turned Raven around so she could look at her appearance. And she was very pleased with the results.

She actually looked really good. Her waist had become much small thanks to the corset. Since the dress had no straps, her shoulders were bare and her chest…well, she had a feeling that Beast Boy would drool when he saw her. Raven pressed her palm against the swell of her breasts and took a deep breath.

"Well, I think I found my dress."

Starfire smiled. "Good. Now, all you need is foot apparel and mayhap jewelry."

Raven nodded and asked Starfire to undo the laces. Once she was out of the dress, Raven took a much needed breath and smiled softly. It seemed to surprise Starfire, because she stood there, gawking, before she laughed and wrapped Raven in a bear hug. First off, she was completely embarrassed because she was only wearing her undergarments, and the fact that Star was hugging her.

"Starfire—what—"

"You are no longer inexpressive! You have finally smiled!"

Raven ignored her comment about being unemotional. "Okay, yes, sure. Now let me down, Star. This is highly uncomfortable."

Starfire dropped Raven, still grinning beautifully, all traces of past heartbreak gone. "I am just thrilled that you are finally happy."

"Happy? I'm not happy. I'm…"

"Happy," Starfire said softly. "You have changed now that you are with Beast Boy. Mayhap you are now free to feel because you love him."

"I do not love Beast Boy," Raven snapped angrily, but Starfire just giggled.

"Whatever you say, Raven. I shall be waiting outside." Starfire walked out, laughing gleefully. Raven muttered foul curses under her breath while she pulled on her clothes, yet her words held no malice.

Starfire walked out of the room, grinning. She was so happy for Raven. She had finally found love, even though she was unwilling to admit it. Not even thoughts of Robin doused her pleasure, for Raven was happy. Truly happy and that was all the mattered.

Starfire smothered her grin when she received looks from the customers and workers, and walked to the far wall where shoes were put on display. To busy her hands, she grabbed a pair of dark, thigh-length boots and studied them, biting her lower lip to keep from smiling. It was about time Raven finally found joy in the world.

"You know, I actually like those." Starfire turned around to see Raven studying the pair of high-heeled boots. "That would look really good with that dress."

Starfire nodded and handed them to her. "Try them on."

Raven did, deciding that they were perfect. They spend another thirty minutes in the shop, gathering the make-up Raven wanted and jewelry, which, of course, were all dark. But it no longer mattered. Raven was in high spirits. Though she didn't show it, she was, well, normal. Or as normal as a half-demon could get.

"Now," Raven muttered, struggling with the huge bag, "we've got to get you something to wear."

Starfire grinned and took the bag with ease. "Yes, of course. We could also stop at the Bath Of Body."

"Bath and Bodyworks?" Raven offered with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, of course. Could we perhaps browse there as well?"

"Sure. I've got nothing better to do." And anyways, she needed to smell good as well as look good. "Since we're not paying for it, I'm more than willing."

Starfire clapped her hands merrily. "Is this not fun, Friend Raven?"

"Sure. It's a real joy." But in all actuality, she wasn't on the verge of tearing her hair out. This outing was…well…enjoyable. She had never had this much fun in years. Well, except when Beats Boy kissed her, but that was a different category all together.

Three hours (and four-hundred dollars later) Raven and Starfire picked a tiny restaurant and sat down, their bags crowed around them. All the shopping for the dance was now complete and the girls were starving. After they ordered their drinks and food, Starfire sighed.

"We are now complete with jewelry, dresses, shoes, hairclips, make-up," she was now counting on her fingers, "bath paraphernalia, and…I think that is it, yes?"

Raven shrugged. "I guess. I've never shopped this much in my entire life."

"Neither have I. On my planet, all clothes and body utensils were handmade. I was never allowed to leave the premises of my kingdom so everything was delivered to my room." The waiter arrived with the food, winking flirtatiously at Star. She smiled sweetly at him, causing Raven to raise an eyebrow. The blonde waiter grinned and sauntered off.

"What was that about," Raven asked after eating a portion of her food.

Star shrugged. "I am no longer waiting for something that will never happen. I have decided that it is time I date and give myself to other men."

"What do you mean, give yourself to other men? Like…sleep with them?" Raven seriously hopped that was not the case.

Starfire laughed. "Of course not. I meant give them my time, not body. I have decided that I will wait until I am in a marriage before I perform the act of mating with a man."

Raven blinked. "Well, I'm sure Robin will be happy to hear that."

Starfire scowled, shoving a large portion of food into her mouth. "I could care less about what Robin cares about. If I had not decided to wait until marriage, that fact would have me in multiple beds by now."

Raven choked on her drink. "Jesus, Starfire, where did you learn all this stuff from?"

"Your novels and movies." Starfire smiled sweetly, handing a napkin to her flustered friend. Raven wiped her mouth.

"You have seriously changed, Star."

She smiled sadly, polishing off the last of her meal. "We all have."

"True. Did you know that Cyborg asked Bumblebee to marry him?"

Starfire's bottle green eyes widened. "Truly? Oh, how glorious for them!"

"Yeah. Bumblebee called me the day Cy told us, and wanted me and you to be her bridesmaid. I told her we would. Is that fine with you? She said she had no family and we were her only women friends, so—"

"I would be honored to be the bride of maid!" Raven raised an eyebrow at her choice of words as she paid the bill.

"I just hope she'll pick descent dresses. I would hate to have to wear something ugly in front of everyone."

"Including Beast Boy?" Starfire asked slyly, earning a dark glare from Raven.

"No. Of course not. I just hate ugly dresses. I'm sure you could wear anything and still be happy," Raven muttered.

"I do not think that is true."

"Umm-hmm. Sure." The waiter who had flirted with Starfire earlier winked as they walked out. Starfire blushed.

"Raven, I was wondering…"

"What?"

"Well…" Starfire trailed off, her cheeks bright with an embarrassed blush.

"Spit it out, Starfire."

"I wanted you to travel with me to the house of Jonathan."

"House of…why?"

Starfire blinked. "I wish to ask him to the dance of formal."

Raven's eyebrows drew together. "So you're going to start dating right away?"

She shook her head, clutching her bag closer to her. "No…well, asking Jonathan to go to the dance of formal will lessen the sting when Robin takes the blonde bimbo—I mean girl—to the dance."

"Blonde bimbo?" Raven's lips curved in amusement.

Starfire gave her a sidelong glance. "I corrected myself, did I not?"

"Okay, sure. But how do you know he will even take her?"

"Intuition."

"Oh. Sure. So you want me to go with you so you can ask this guy out," Raven clarified.

"Yes. I would end up stuttering and making a fool of myself, for I have never asked a guy on a…date."

"Okay. But I don't think me going will—"

"Raven, please, I beg of you!" Starfire pleaded, and by the desperate look in her eye, Raven was deathly afraid that she would get on her knees and really beg.

"Fine, fine," Raven said quickly, lowering her head when Starfire's outburst gained attention form the occupants of the store. "I'll go. Just…keep your voice down." Raven sighed, defeated. "When do you plan on going?"

"Could we travel there now?" Starfire asked, pinning Raven with a puppy-dog stare.

"Whatever," Raven muttered, under her breath. Starfire clapped her hands with a giggle.

"I would have never thought you would be so thrilled to ask a guy out who isn't Robin."

Starfire quieted instantly. "I am not thrilled, Raven. I merely have no choice, unless I wish to go alone and suffer watching whilst Robin enjoys his date."

"Oh. True." They walked out of the store and Raven noticed that the temperature had dropped a good five degrees while they had been in the mall. And from the dark, forbidding clouds, she figured they were in for a good storm.

"Great," she muttered.

"What troubles you?" Starfire asked, popping open the trunk of her car and sliding the bags in.

"We've got a storm coming, and I don't think it will wait much longer. Let's hurry and get to this guys house, alright?"

"He lives in my apartments, so we will not have to journey further." Starfire said. As they climbed into the car, the sky opened open, rain poring down in sheets.

Starfire sighed, flicking on the windshield-wipers and headlights. "This weather is horrid. I wonder how the boys are doing."

"Probably strolling around in Victoria Secrets."

"Who is Victoria Secrets?" Starfire asked innocently and Raven shook her head, amused.

"It's a store, Star. They sell…oh never mind. You'll find out later."

Starfire slid a glance at Raven, but turned her attention back to the road. Truth was, she was really nervous about asking Jonathan out. What if he said no? What if he was only being friendly and had no interest in her at all? What if she was forced to go to the dance of formal alone? Obviously, her insecurities showed, for Raven asked her what was the matter.

"What's wrong? Nervous about asking this guy out?"

"Yes," Starfire admitted, pulling into the garage of her apartments. "I am unsure if he will want to go with me."

"He probably will. Even if he doesn't, it won't be the end of the world."

"You are right," Starfire said on a sighed, climbing out of the vehicle. "Can we leave the baggage's in here until I get this over with?"

"Sure," Raven muttered, following her to the elevator. On the ride up, Starfire was quiet, wringing her hands and biting her lip. Raven kept silent, for nothing would help calm the girl's nerves. She understood why Starfire was so desperate to get a date, but she would have never acted so nervous were she put in Star's shoes.

The elevator stopped on Star's floor, and Raven followed her past her door and father down the wide hall. Starfire stopped abruptly and knocked on the white wood of the door.

It opened, revealing a tall, lanky red head with bright blue eyes and thin glasses. He was adorable, yes, but Raven had to admit that Starfire could do so much better.

"Rose," the young man said, surprise evident on his cute face. "What are you doing here?"

Starfire bit her lip and Raven watched as the guys eyes dropped down to her mouth, almost entranced. He had yet to even notice Raven was there.

"I was wondering if…maybe…if you would go with me to my school dance on the twentieth."

"Me?" He asked, unbelieving. "You want me to go to your dance? Do you mean as a date?"

Starfire nodded, a sweet grin gracing her face. "Would you mind taking me? You do not have to, if you do not—"

"I would love to!" He said, his eyes wide with shocked. "I mean, yes, I would take you…on a date…to your dance." He suddenly grinned, and Raven was aware that it actually made him look handsome. Though the red hair was a bit too bright for her taste, he was an attractive man.

Starfire blushed, laying a hand on the guys arm. His eyes widened even further, his cheeks flaming with a blush. Obviously this man was not used to being touched by the opposite sex.

"I cannot thank you enough, Jonathan."

"It's…no problem. I would love to." Starfire grinned. She leaned in to give him a chaste kiss on the cheek, and Raven though the poor man was going to faint. Starfire grabbed Raven's hand, and Jonathan finally took notice of her.

"Are you a friend of Rose's?"

Starfire blinked, glancing down at Raven, and blushed. "Oh, yes, this is—"

"Dru Moody," Raven said, pasting on a grin and offering her hand. Jonathan's eyes wondered over her, taking in everything before taking her hand. She was surprised at the strength of his grip. He didn't seem like the strong type.

"Hi. I'm Jonathan. But most people call me Jon…well, my family does, seeing as I don't really have any friends…" He blushed, offering her a small smile. "Sorry. I ramble when I get nervous. It's not every day I get asked out by a beautiful woman and met her equally attractive friend." Raven and Starfire blushed at the comment, and she realized that he still held her hand. Obviously, the fact hit him as well for he dropped her hand quickly, his cheeks flaming.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"

"It's fine," Raven said, glancing at Starfire, who was watching with mild curiosity.

"Well, er, it was nice to meet you, Dru. And, uh, Rose, what time should I pick you up…or walk to you apartment…" His eyebrows drew together. "I think you know what I mean. Is this dance formal or casual?"

"Formal," Raven said, shoving her hands into her pockets and stepping away from the door.

"Oh, I guess I need to rent a tux, then." He grinned at Starfire as she once again kissed his cheek. "Well, then, goodbye." Jonathan shut the door softly and Raven shook her head as she heard the triumphed yell he gave.

"Well," Raven said as she turned around, "he seems…Robin." Raven blinked at the raw fury and pain written across his face as he stared at them. Beast Boy grimaced and exchanged glances with the little boy who was in his arms.

Raven glanced at Starfire. She stood with her chin tilted up, shoulders back and eyes emotionless. "Robin," she said softly.

He said nothing, just gripped the bags in his hand until his knuckles turned white. "Starfire." They stood like that for what seemed like hours when Starfire finally strode past him, heading for the elevator. Raven followed behind her, eyebrow raised. Well, she mused to herself, that was…interesting. I've only seen Robin like that when we were trailing Slade.

As the elevator doors closed, the door to Starfire's apartment slammed. Both girls' flinched.

* * *

"I can't believe this!" Robin roared, throwing the bags on the counter, his fist clenched. "Of all the damn guys she can date, she goes for him!" Robin slammed down a fist and tried to control his breathing.

Beast Boy sat the little boy down and crossed his arms over his chest. "Hurts, doesn't it?" he asked softly, and all the anger drained from Robin instantly. He collapsed in a chair, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger.

"Yeah," he admitted softly. "It really does."

Beast Boy walked to where the bags were and started to straighten then. "That's how Starfire felt. But her pain was probably much worse because she was, probably still is, in love with you."

Robin sighed. "She kissed him."

Beast Boy shook his head. "On the cheek, Robin. That's it. But I hate to say that she'll be kissing more than just his cheek once—"

"I don't need to hear this, BB."

"I know," Beast Boy said with understanding. His anger had cooled down considerably once he heard why Robin pushed her away. Yeah, the guy was afraid of losing her, but didn't he realize that it would kill him if he lost her anyway? It didn't matter what they were labeled as. If he lost Starfire, it would tear him to pieces no matter what. But Robin was going to have to find that out for himself.

"But it's going to happen sooner or later."

"I know, I know," Robin groaned, rubbing his palms over his face. "But I didn't know it would hurt this bad."

"Yeah, well, everything had a consequence, Rob. If it didn't, it really wouldn't be worth it in the first place."

Robin lifted his eyes to glare at Beast Boy. "What is with you and your constant philosophy? You were never like this at the tower."

Beast Boy grinned. "As I said before, I've changed. And I have to say it's for the better."

Robin snorted. "That's a matter of opinion."

Beast Boy smirked. "Funny. So are you going to ask that girl to the dance now that Starfire has a date with the boy next door?"

Robin snarled at Beast Boy's choice of words. "I guess. I'm not going alone now that Starfire has a…date."

Beast Boy shook his head. "All this is just aggravating."

"No shit, Sherlock," Robin muttered as he reached for the phone. He really dreaded taking Rebecca to the dance, but he really didn't have a choice, unless he wanted to stay in the corner and watch that idiot dance with his Starfire—no, not his Starfire… just…damnit.

After a few rings, Rebecca answered. "Hey, Rebecca."

"Grayson?" She squealed and Robin held the phone away from his ear with a grimace.

Yeah, it's me."

"I thought you would never talk to me after we had sex!" Robin groaned, casting a glance at Beast Boy, who was trying to suppress a chuckle. He could actually hear the girl even though he was in the kitchen.

"Yeah, well, I, uh…was wondering if you wanted to go to the dance with me…"

He groaned and shoved the phone away from him as she squealed her head off. Beast Boy jumped at the shrills and stared at the phone like it had leaped out of Robin's had and started to walk.

"My God," Beast Boy muttered with a shake of his head. "You poor man."

Robin glared, pulling the phone back to his ear. "Would that be a yes, maybe…?"

"Of course! I would love to go with you, Gray! I have the perfect dress, too." She said something seductively that had Robin blushing.

"Well, er, I guess I'll pick you up, then."

"Great! I can't wait until then!" Robin hung up the phone with a grimace.

"And you gave up Starfire for that?"

"Shut up, Beast Boy." Robin muttered, not even looking up when the door opened and Raven and Starfire walked in. Christian squealed, running to Starfire and throwing himself at her. Starfire chuckled, dropping her bags so she could catch him. Thankfully, the bags had been enveloped in a black light before they could spill out on the floor.

"Hi!" Christian said, throwing his arms around Starfire's neck. She chuckled, rubbing the little boy's back.

"Hi yourself." He quickly tugged on her hair so he could be let down, and scurried off to his toys. Starfire shook her head, and turned, never once looking at Robin.

"I think I shall retire to my room for awhile," she mumbled.

"Yeah, Beast Boy and I are heading home anyways." Raven gathered her things from the bag, swiftly shoving them into bags. Beast Boy watched her, trying to catch a glimpse of the things she bought, but her movements were too quick. He sighed and grabbed his things as well.

"See you later guys," Beast Boy said as he shut the door, leaving Starfire and Robin alone. They exchanged scowls, Robin storming to the living room and Starfire going to her room.

Just to spark his temper, Starfire slammed the door.

* * *

Sorry if there are any mistakes, I got impatient and needed to get this posted. Ya know, it's gotten to where I get nervous about posting these chapters. (Grimaces) I check over it countless times for mistakes, but I can't seem to get all of them. So I apologize for the mistakes that I missed. Oh, and, er, I'm not exactly good at describing dresses, so just bear with me about Raven's gown. I know the description sucked, but hey, what are you gonna do? So, well…er, until next time. 


	28. Chapter Twenty Seven: January 14th

By the way, sorry if Robin and Starfire seem a little OOC in this. And, er, I don't know if this is a very good chapter...but you gotta decided that on your own, so...here it is.

* * *

He couldn't stand it anymore. This silence and dirty looks were driving him mad. Cyborg had come to Robin and Starfire to tell about his fiancé and had hoped that they would be thrilled. But no, they were sitting on the couch, as far away from each other as possible, and exchanged glares with their arms folded over their chests'.

Oh, of course they talked to him and congratulated him, but it was clipped, for they were having a damn who-looks-away-first contest, which had been going on for a good thirty minutes.

With his human eyes twitching in anger, Cyborg finally asked, "What the hell is going on with you two?"

He received a harrumph from them both as they stuck their noses in the air, turning their bodies away from one another. My God, they were immature.

"She's going on a date with a stupid no-good geek."

"Only because you mated with a girl."

Cyborg's eyes widened as he listen to their argument. The little boy sitting in his lap was watching too, but he seemed to be used to it.

"But it matters not. You said there will be nothing between us," Starfire bit out.

"So?"

"So? _So_? Do you truly expect me to sit back whilst you mate with other women?"

"Yes."

That did it. Starfire's anger snapped and she grabbed the nearest object she could get her hands on. The remote hit the side of his head forcefully. Robin winced, eyes wide as he stared at the now smirking alien.

"You just threw a damn remote at me!" He cried, rubbing the side of his throbbing head.

Smugly, Starfire turned away from him. "You deserved to be hit with worse."

Robin gawked. "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means that I should have hit you harder!" She snapped, turning fiery green eyes to his. He glared.

"You don't just go around hitting people. Especially with goddamn remotes! That could have done some serious damage!"

"The only thing it could have damaged was the skin, for I know first hand you have nothing in that small head of yours that would qualify for a brain."

Cyborg snorted with laughter. God, this was so interesting. Starfire had definitely changed since the last time he had seen her.

"Wha—what? Are you calling me stupid?"

"Yes, Robin, I am. You are dim-witted for thinking that you can have someone while I can't."

"I am not stupid!" Robin yelled angrily, a vein popping up on his forehead.

"That is a matter of opinion."

And then the insults were flying. Cyborg could only watch in amusement as his two friends engaged in a verbal battle.

"Bitch," Robin said after a lengthy pause.

"Jerk."

"Stupid woman."

"Chlorbag."

"Idiot."

"Conceited donkey." Cyborg chortled, just couldn't help it. He figured that Starfire meant jackass. Oh, this was killing him!

Robin's eyes narrowed as he thought of an insult. "Prude."

"Insufferable pig."

"…Naive alien warrior Amazon thingy!" Robin said, eyes narrowed and his mouth set in a pout.

Cyborg couldn't breath he was laughing so hard.

"Oh, Jesus, Robin, that was priceless. The best insult ever!" Cyborg managed, and the two teens finally realized he was there. "Naïve alien warrior Amazon thingy!"

"Yes, truly insulting," Starfire said sardonically. "How shall I ever get over it?"

"I am going to kill Raven for teaching you to be so damn sarcastic." Robin mumbled, gingerly touching the growing knot on his head and wincing.

"Oh, you big baby," Starfire muttered as she went to get ice from the freezer. Tossing ice into a plastic bag( which she did not seal) , she stormed over to Robin and tossed it into his lap. He yelped as ice tumbled out of the bag and onto his lap. He stood up quickly, dusting his wet thighs off.

Starfire bit back a grin. Just what she had hoped for. "Damn you, Starfire!" Robin snarled and before she knew it, she was being hit in the face with a pillow. Starfire caught it just as it hit her lap, eye livid with fury.

Robin was standing beside Cyborg now, dabbing his thighs with a dishtowel and smirking, eyes alight with humor. And damn if it didn't make him gorgeous.

Without thinking, she hurled a star-bolt at him, missing his shoulder by mere inches. It only missed because that idiot jumped out of the way.

"Whoa, hey there! If you're gonna kill him, do it away from me." Cyborg said, jumping up out of his chair with Christian in tow. They hurried of into the kitchen so they would be out of harms way, but still be able to see and hear what was going on.

"I see no reason why you are so mad," Starfire muttered as she exchanged glare with Robin.

"Because you are going out with a geek!"

"And? You mated with a blonde bimbo with a brain the size of a peanut."

"Well, er…so?" Robin was fighting a grin now at the comment Starfire made.

"So I have the right to date whom ever I wish, and you have no choice but to sit back and watch. I will not be alone just so you can have your little escapades with blonde bimbos."

Robin sighed, rubbing the side of his head. "It's just…I don't like Jonathan."

Starfire smiled slightly. "Would you like anyone I dated?"

"No," he muttered grudgingly. "But there's just…I don't know…I just don't like him."

"And I do not like your blonde bimbo." Starfire crossed her arms over her chest and smiled slightly.

Robin couldn't help but grin. "I don't like her either."

Starfire blinked. "You do not like her? But…why…why would you… consummate the mating process with her?"

Robin ran a hands through his unruly hair. "Things are different here on earth when it comes to things like that, Star. You don't have to like someone to…mate with them. She didn't want a relationship and neither did I. It was just a…one night stand sorta thing."

Starfire tiled her head. "So what you are implying is that one can mate with another, yet not be tied to them in any way?"

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Er…yeah, I guess."

"Oh," she said quietly. "On my planet the mating can only be done within a marriage. If done before the marriage, the woman is usually forced to marry him, become a concubine, or live a life of ignominy. "

"Wow. That's tough. So the woman either is forced to marry him, become a whore, or lives a life of shame? What happens to the man?" Cyborg asked.

"Nothing. He is not looked down upon or anything."

"Dude, that's so wrong. Who came up with these laws?" Cyborg questioned, quite interested in the new conversation.

"It is just a customary tradition. But it was developed by my ancestors, so the law applies vastly to me. Well, it did anyway. It no longer applies here on earth, for I am not the Grand Ruler. I can mate with whom ever I wish when ever I wish it—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold the phone there, princess," Robin said, stepping forward. "Are you trying to say you plan on _mating_ with a guy soon?"

"Maybe. Jonathan does seem to type who would be a good family man, and that is what I wish for." She knew the comment would get a response from Robin, but she had expected him to be angry and tell her that she couldn't. But the look of shock and hurt ran across his eyes before he masked them. Luckily, she had caught them both.

"Well, good luck with that. I'm sure he won't be too terribly bad. He probably would make a good father-figure. You could do better, but then again you could do worse."

Eye calm, Robin said down on the chair Cyborg had long ago vacated and pressed his hand to the side of his head, eyes never leaving hers.

Starfire's eyebrows drew together. "Are you saying that you care not if I have the sex with Jonathan?" Starfire cringed inwardly. Though she knew minimal about the subject, she knew enough and the thought of Jonathan doing that was nauseating.

"Nope. I don't really care if you do or not. I've thought about it and decided that you're nothing but a friend, and I can't keep you from doing what you want. I mean it's not like I want you myself, so why hold you back? It's not fair to you, so go right ahead."

Starfire flinched visibly at his words, her eyes bright with hurt. "Oh. Al-alright."

"I've been acting like a jerk, keeping you away from dating other people when I'm doing it. So, from now on, date anyone you like, mate with anyone you like and so on. You already know that we're nothing more than friends so why should you not date? There won't ever be anything between us, and frankly, I'd feel a lot better if you did date, so then I could go my own way without feeling guilty. You said you love me and that's keeping me from being with anyone else because I always feel so guilty. But now with you dating someone, it's not keeping me back from what I want to do."

"Of course," she said softly, wishing he would stop talking.

"Hey, guys, I'm going to head back home," Cyborg said quietly, watching Robin with shock and disgust.

Starfire glanced up at him with a forced smile. "Congratulation on your wedding, Friend Cyborg."

"Thanks." He walked over to her and hugged her tenderly, leaning down to whisper, "Don't worry about him, Starfire. You can do so much better." He pulled back and, with a sympathetic smile, walked out the door.

Christian didn't understand the things Robin was saying, so he shuffled to his room to play. To busy herself, Starfire knelt down on the floor to pick up the ice.

Robin kept talking. "I don't mean this as an insult to you personally, but I finally realized that I'm not attracted to you anymore. Truthfully, the whole naïve innocent thing is a real turn-off. I mean, you don't really know about anything. When I kissed you, you had no idea what to do. I don't like to have to spend my time trying to teach you things like that. It's just…a burden."

"Robin, I do not wish to talk about this." She said softly, the tears she tried to hold back slipping down her cheeks. She had no idea that he thought about her this way. She didn't know she was a burden to him. Had he always thought like this? Had she truly been bad at the kissing? Humiliation mixed with the pain of rejection as she stood on shaking legs to dump the ice in the sink. Her hands shook and she fought off the pain. No, she would not let what he said get to her.

Closing her eyes tightly, she gripped the edge of the counter until pain ran through her arm. The physical pain helped the emotion turmoil.

"And, anyway, you're just too tall. I mean, there's nothing wrong with that or anything, but I just like petite girls. You know, the ones with soft, unblemished, pale skin and who need someone to depend on. You really beautiful Starfire and I don't want you to change, but…girls aren't supposed to be able to fight or lift twenty tons of metal without even breaking a sweat, or have battle scars and callused hands. It's just…not normal."

Now, anger made an appearance. So, he didn't want her because she had scars? Because she was able to fight? Because her damn hands were callused? My God, she had never known that Robin would be so damned shallow.

"Forgive me for knowing how to protect myself. And God forbid I have scars and callused hands. I guess that means that no man would want me because of my _scars_, and _hands_, and because I'm tall."

"That's not what I'm saying—"

"The hell it isn't!" She snarled. Never had she been so angry, so hurt. She couldn't take it anymore. He was taking this too far. She knew good and bloody well that he didn't want her, but he had no right to go _this_ far.

With inhuman speed, Starfire made it to Robin's side and picked him up by the collar, slamming his body against the nearest wall. His eyes widened. Good. The jerk was scared.

"I could care less what you think of me, Richard Grayson. I have scars because I protect people, and I have calluses because I save people from falling metal and debris. I'm naïve because I am not from the planet. I am not weak, Robin. I can take good care of myself. So can Raven. She has scars as well. You do, Cyborg does, and Beast boy. These scars of mine prove to the world that I am worth something, that I can do something. But let me make something clear here, Robin," she snarled, bringing her face close to his.

She jerked her arm up so he was now off the ground, the cloth of his shirt almost choking him. "You are pathetic. Truly and utterly pathetic. I'm disgusted that I could have ever loved a selfish, arrogant, obsessed pig like yourself, but believe me, all feelings I had for you are now gone. I'm pretty sure that is what you were aiming for, so now you and you little bimbo can have sex all you want. Because now I realize that you don't deserve me. I am better than you are and I'm not going to let your shallow attempts change me."

Though tears pored from her eyes, she smiled hatefully. "And I cannot have something so vile as a friend." The grip on his collar loosened and he dropped to the floor. But he didn't move. He just sat there, shoulder sagging and his throat working as he held back his emotions.

She knelt before him, and lifted his chin with her finger. She didn't even feel remorse when tears fell from his eyes. "Are you proud of yourself Robin?" She asked softly, her eyes as emotionless as she could make them. "Are you finally happy that you lost the one thing that separated you from Slade or any other villain we've come up against?" She watched the agony run through his eyes. She knew that was his weakness, but she was too hurt to care about him at the moment.

"I don't care about that stupid rule you had, Robin. I could have changed you. I would have loved you with everything I had. But you pushed it all away and now you're paying for it. You got what you wanted, Robin. I won't try to make you love me. I won't be there when you need a shoulder to cry on. You pushed my away. And you don't know how much that hurt. I knew you didn't want me as a possible mate or lover or whatever you earthlings call it. I was fine with that, because I thought I was a friend to you and that was all that mattered."

A single tears fell against her hand and she didn't know if it was his or hers. "I guess, in a way, this was all my fault. When you told me you mated with the blonde, I freaked, and I think I know why you did this. But Robin, what you don't understand is that I _knew_ there was nothing between us. It is one reason why I asked Jonathan to go to the dance of formal with me. I knew that you probably didn't care that I dated, and I was fine with that. But I didn't need to know that I was useless to you. I didn't need to know that I am too innocent, that I am nothing than a burden to you. I didn't need to know that you find me unattractive because I am too tall, that my hands are to rough, or that my skin is scarred. But you brought it up, and I lost all respect for you. You used to be my best friend, Robin. The one I came to when I didn't know what was going on. But…I didn't know I was a burden.

"For that, I am sorry. But you will no longer have to worry about that anymore. You no longer have to deal with my annoying questions of earth customs. I will…confide in my friends from now on. I am not your problem anymore. Nor am I your friend."

Riddled with pain beyond anything she had ever felt, Starfire walked to her room, pressing her hands against her mouth as Robin's deep sobs of pure agony followed her.

* * *

_Are you finally happy that you lost the one thing that separated you from Slade or any other villain we've come up against? _Her words ran through his head as he stood on the roof of the apartments, the rain drenching him.

_Was it worth it_? He asked himself as his steel heart shattered in his chest. _Was losing Starfire in everyway possible worth it, just so I could be guilt free?_ Robin swallowed, his first clenched so hard that blood dripped down onto the wet cement from where his nails dug into the skin.

He had lost the only thing that mattered to him to save himself from guilt. He had pushed his best friend away from him because he was selfish, because he thought that if she knew there would be nothing between then, that he could date peacefully.

But he had never meant to push her away completely. God, how was he going to survive with out her? She was his joy, his light, his entire being. And now she was gone. She hated him. She thought he was worthless…and she was right.

He didn't deserve her. She was too good for him. She was too innocent, to sweet, to perfect to be with a monster like him. Hell, he didn't deserve anyone.

Cautiously, Robin walked to the edge of the building, gazing at the street below. He could jump and end the pain quickly, rid himself of the sickening truth. All he had to do was take a few steps forward, and it would be over. No more pain, no more heartache.

_You're so weak._ Robin took in a shaking breath and quickly turned way from the edge, plopping down in the middle of the roof.

_If I did jump, would I be missed_? He wondered, and knew the answer quickly. No. No one would miss him if he killed himself. They would call him weak, a useless human. He would probably be lucky if anyone even went to his damn funeral. His entire team thought he was a jerk and he was. Starfire hated him because he was pathetic and weak, which he was.

Lying back against the wet ground, Robin closed his eyes tightly, the rain beating against his skin.

He hated himself. Truly loathed everything that he had become. Because he had been so damn selfish, he had lost the only thing he loved in this goddamn world. He had pushed her away because he was so scared. He had never loved before. He had locked himself away from everyone the minute his parents died. And then Starfire had come, and knocked down the barrier around his heart. She had treated him like he was precious, like a king. She had loved him, came to him when he was in trouble, hurt when he hurt. She had been there when he went though his phases with Slade. She had been the only one who hadn't given up on him.

And now she was gone. She didn't want to be the one who took his burdens. She didn't want him anymore. But wasn't that what he wanted when he had said all those lies about her? Hadn't he _wanted_ her to hate him?

He had. Robin had wanted her to see the monster he truly was. He had wanted her to see what hideous creature she believed she loved. Maybe that had been his intention the entire time he had spouted out lies to her. Maybe, in his own way, he had tried to protect her. She didn't deserve him.

And now she knew that. Now she knew what he truly was. A conceited jerk who cared only about himself. She could go on with her life now and never have to worry about him hurting her again. She could be happy now that he was out of her life. She could be a normal teenager who could love and be loved.

Robin realized that he had always loved her. But his love was not enough. She needed more. She needed someone who could be there for her every minute of everyday, someone who could push everything aside so she could be happy. But he could never do that. He had proved it when he went after Slade in the tower. He became obsessed, pushed her away, and she had almost gotten hurt when he became Slade's apprentice.

She didn't deserve that kind of life. If he had pushed away all doubts and fears, he would gave brought her into his life, the life where nothing mattered but catching a sick criminal. And it would have been her downfall. She would have easily been killed or used against him. Maybe even both.

Now, he realized, it had nothing to do with the guilt and dating as he had made himself believe. It all had to do with her safety. With him, she would be miserable. She would have wished she would have never met him.

But none of that mattered now. Starfire hated him. She didn't want a vile creature like himself. She didn't even consider him a friend anymore. And now, he was truly alone. She wouldn't come to him anymore with her adorable question, or look to him when she was in trouble. She would go to her real friends. Friends she could trust, who could be there for her when she needed help.

Robin couldn't take the pain anymore. It felt as though he was being ripped apart from the inside. He scrambled up from the middle of the roof, bare feet slipping against the wet ground. Weak, he was so weak. He was worthless, a monster. His life was not important anymore. No one would miss him. Starfire would never miss him. She hated him. She didn't want him, love him. He was so alone. And he couldn't take it. No more pain, no more loathing, no more knowing what he truly was.

He stumbled to the edge of the building, telling himself that suicide was the only way out of the pain. Sobs racked his body, but it didn't matter. Tears and rain blurred his vision as he stared down at he empty street.

This was it. His last, weak moment on earth. Hell would be a piece of cake compared to this place. Robin closed her eyes tightly, Starfire's smile haunting his troubled mind along with her painful words. Taking a deep breath, Robin swallowed and slowly stepped off the edge of the building.

* * *

Oh my. I've never written anything so… depressing before. (Sorry if it was a little too depressing or if it went horribly wong. But hey, it was my first time at angst, and there's a first time for everything.) So, er, well, all I have to say is wait till the next chapter to see what happens.

Oh, er, and if the thing with Robin confused you, here's a little summary: He had made himself believe that the only reason he pushed her away was because of the guilt he felt, but the true reason was that he was desperately in love with her and wanted to protect her from himself. (His obsession with Slade, selfish acts, the monster he things himself to be, and so on.) So he had said all those things in hopes that she would see what he really was and would hate him so she wouldn't get hurt in the long run. But he didn't know that without her, he couldn't survive. So, in a moments weakness, he…

And you'll find out what happens in the next chapter. (I hope that wasn't _too_ confusing.) Until next time!


	29. Chapter Twenty Eight: January 14th

Okey-dokey, peeps! I actually appreciate the reviews that tell me about the mistakes. The reason I put the stupid Author's Note up, was one, so I could get a beta-reader (blushes) and two, so I could say that they were right. Anyway, I needed to say that the next chapter was going to take longer, so…I just wanted to say that none of the reviews upset me. Not at all. Enough of my rambling. So here is the chapter!

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The minute Robin felt nothing but air, he panicked. What the _hell_ was he doing? There was no way he was going to commit suicide. He tried to reach out and grab the edge of the roof, but he couldn't turn his body in time. His eyes widened as he realized that he was probably going to die.

Suddenly, a hand shot out and grabbed his wrist tightly. The movement jerked his arm painfully, but the adrenaline and fear were all the emotions he could feel.

"What do you think you are doing?" Starfire asked as she wrestled to pull him onto the roof. Her footing slipped on the wet cement and she almost tumbled down with him, but she regained it quickly, her long hair plastered to her pale face.

When she jerked him up, they both went sprawling. Robin hit the ground hard, but he didn't notice. He had just tried to jump off a damn building! Never had he thought himself suicidal, but he had just tried it! Jesus, what had he been thinking? Only the weak of mind tried to commit suicide. But he had. He had also almost succeeded. If it hadn't been for Starfire, he's be laying on the sidewalk right now.

"What were you doing?" She asked again, raising her voice against the howl of the wind and rain.

Breathing ragged, Robin ignored her and got shakily to his feet. He need to walk, or something. The self disgust he felt burned deep in his heart, and right now he didn't need Star to see him so weak, so vulnerable.

But he forgot the little fact that she never left anything alone. "Robin, what happened? Why did you try to jump off the…" He heard her little intake of breath and turned to look at her. Her eyes were wide with realization.

"You were trying to kill yourself."

"No I wasn't," he muttered, trying to save her from the truth. She didn't need to know that he had tried suicide. "I just…slipped, that's all."

"Oh God, Robin. Is this…did I…"

"No, goddamnit, I slipped, alright?"

"Please don't lie to me, Robin. Please, I beg of you."

He grunted, trying to walk away, but she grabbed his hand.

"Damnit, Star—why are you crying?" Tear flowed from her bright green eyes as her fingers tightened around his wrist.

"I did it, didn't I?"

"Did what?" he asked cautiously.

"Oh, God, Robin, I didn't know. I…I didn't mean those things I said. I was just so hurt that I just…made things up…I didn't mean for them t-to hurt you. I didn't know that…I'm so sorry."

"I wasn't your fault," he said softly, pulling away from her warm grasp. "I only did it because I am weak." Well, hell, so much for keeping it a hidden secret.

Suddenly, she slapped the side of his head, all tears forgotten. "Why did you do that?" She yelled. "That was just stupid! I thought you were stronger than that!"

"So did I, but I guess I'm not." He swerved away just as she tried to hit him again. "Would you stop with all the damn hitting?"

"Somebody has to knock some sense into you, so why not me?"

"Because you're painful," he muttered, rubbing the other knot on this head. First he was getting smacked with a remote, now with her hand.

"I don't know what else to do," she whispered, those damn tears appearing again. "I never…it's just…this isn't like you, Robin. You've always been so strong, emotionally and physically."

"It was a moment of weakness, Starfire. I'm human. Every human has a moment of weakness, and mine was just stronger than most. It's not every day you realized that you're truly alone." His eyebrows drew together at he look on her face. "That was not a guilt trip. That was just…not supposed to come out of my big mouth."

He shook his head, droplets of water flying. "Okay look. I don't want to talk to anyone right now. I just want to go back inside and take a shower and go to sleep."

She said nothing, just watched him with those big green eyes. She looked so lost, so hurt, and so…angry.

Suddenly, she stared to speak her foreign language, and by the tone of her voice, she was not calling him by sweet endearments. She stormed over to him, and poked his chest while she ranted. The force was bruising, but she was more entertaining. With her green eyes flashing, she was so damn pretty.

Robin sighed, ignoring her and rubbing his palm over his eyes. He did not need this right now. Not only was it freezing, but the dull fact that he had been weak enough to commit suicide still lingered. Who was he kidding? It would always linger. He would forever be remind of how weak he truly was.

She slapped the side of his head again. "Are you even paying attention to me?" She asked.

He groaned. "You were cursing me in Tameranian, Starfire. Only Cyborg knows a portion of your language." He rubbed his head.

"Would you like me to repeat it in English then?"

"Uh, not really." He moved away from her and headed for the door. Of course, she followed.

"Well, that is too bad, because you are going to listen to what I have to say." He grunted as he walked down the stairs. He only had seven floors to go before he got to her apartment. Great. And why had he decided to go up to the roof anyway? He didn't think he had planned on suicide, but then again, he was in such pain that he hadn't been thinking logically.

"Robin, if you don't listen to me I'll…I'll…well, what I do will not be pleasant."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'm listening."

"How can you be so utterly stupid? Killing yourself is wrong, even of you are depressed. I thought you of all people were stronger than that—"

"I know these things, Starfire," he muttered.

"The Robin I know would have never tried anything like—"

"The Robin you know would have never hurt you like that."

"And would you please stop interrupting me?"

He growled low in his throat, but shut up.

"Now, the Robin I know would have faced his fears head on instead of trying to end them by taking his life. It was careless, unintelligent, and completely stupid. And I swear, Robin, if you even scare me like that again, you'll have help falling off a building, and I won't be there to catch you."

Robin glowered. "Why were you up there anyway?"

She blinked at the sudden change in topic. "Er, well, I came back to apologize—"

"You don't have to apologize, Starfire."

"—and you were not in the living room. I thought about all the places you used to go, and the roof popped up in my mind, so I thought why not. So I went up, opened the doors, and you were just stepping off the edge. I do not think I have ever flown so fast in my entire life."

"You flew? As in like a bird?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Yes."

He whirled on her, which made her stumble to a halt. "You flew? Where people could actually see you?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Well, yes, it was either that or let you fall. Which would you have rather of happened? Did you want me to stand there while I watched you fall?"

"No. But someone could have seen you."

"And I could have lost you! Damn you, Robin. I don't care what you say to me or what you do. You are my best friend and no matter how you try, I'll still love you and losing you would have killed me. But that doesn't change the fact that I will be severely angry with you for months. I still won't forgive you, but I will be your friend. And I swear, if you use my looks against me one more time, you will wish I never saved you."

"Starfire…"

"No. I am mad. There is no changing that. You used my looks, which you know good and well I don't like, and you pointed each flaw out. For that, I will not talk to you. I will be here, yes, but you can forget any sort of conversation from me unless you wish to be yelled at. That was cruel beyond anything you have ever said to me. Since I am a burden, you will no longer—"

"You're not a burden," he said quietly, but she only glared.

She cut him a glance that had him biting the inside of his mouth to keep from grinning,"—have to deal with my questions. Pull another stunt like that, and you will lose me and my friendship forever. I don't know why you tried to kill yourself, but I think it was because—"

"I completely lost you and I couldn't handle it."

She let out a deep breath. "Don't try to make it up to me now, Robin. I will forever be mad at you."

"I know. But that's the truth. I can't stand to think of my life without you." There. That wasn't so hard to say…

"Then why did you try so hard to push me out of it?"

He opened his mouth then closed it. He couldn't tell her. Damn it, now he had to lie again. He was becoming pretty darn good too.

"I dunno." Oh, wow. What an answer.

She groaned. "Okay. Sure. Since you will not tell me, my silence towards you begins now."

He smiled softly. "There's no way that you can't talk."

"To you. I can talk, but just not to you. You are officially being ignored, though I will watch you like a hawk so you do not pull something stupid again."

"I thought you said that your silence starts now."

"I mean now. I just had to say something. Now, no longer speak to me." She lifted her chin and walked past him.

They walked down a flight of stairs in silence. Robin crossed his arms over his chest, his mind replaying his almost-suicide. Had he really been that desperate to die? How could he have been so weak? He had gone through pain before, and yes, when he parents died, he had thought of killing himself, but he had never gone through with it. Bruce had taught him to bury his emotions, act cold and detached. Never let anything get to close. And that tiny bit of logic had worked.

That is until the Teen Titans had been formed. He had becomes so close with his teammates, especially with Starfire. Raven had been like a sister to him, and Beast Boy and Cyborg had been the closest friends he had ever had. But Starfire…Starfire changed everything.

She made him feel like a human, like he could actually belong with people instead of being the conceited Boy Wonder who prided himself on his physical abilities and keen mind. She had shown him sides of himself that he had never known existed. And he had come so close to losing her. He knew that that was the reason why he had tried to kill himself. But…was it possible that he truly could not live without her? Emotionally, yes, maybe. But physically? Did he actually have to have her around to be strong?

He sure proved that he needed her when his stupid self tried to jump off a building. But did he need her to be there physically? With Starfire around, he had been so strong, so sure of himself. But when he knew that she would no longer be around him, he broke into little pieces. Jeez, could a woman really have that much power over him? What the hell was he going to do when she finds someone and marries them? What was he going do when she leaves the team to follow her own dreams? Would he end up a broken old man with his past haunting him?

Oh, how thoughts of the future were cruel. He would not let himself become weak because he was desperately in love with his best friend. No. He would be strong and survive off the knowledge that she was still part of his life, in some way, even if it was a semi-friendship. He had ruined any chance of them being best friends again, but if she was just there, even if it was just as a teammate or acquaintance, he could survive. Somehow. Maybe even he could find someone who would love him.

Guilt overpowered him. Someone_ did_ love him. Starfire did. But he had pushed her so far away that she would probably never forgive him. Robin groaned inwardly as the dull ache of heartbreak and guilt resurfaced. He was going to have to live with the discomfort for awhile.

"I can no longer bear the silence!" She said so suddenly that Robin was jerked out of his depressing thoughts.

"Uh?"

"I cannot go on with not talking. I was a born talker and I hate quiet." She whirled on his, her wet hair slapping him in the face. He peeled the strands off with some discomfort at the sting they had caused.

"Er, huh. I knew you couldn't take much longer." He muttered, watching in mild amusement as she jerked her hair from his grasp.

She poked his chest with a long finger. "But this does not mean I forgive you. When I talk to you, it will not be pleasant. Got it? I will not forgive you so soon or easily. You're only avoiding the shoulder of cold because I cannot stay silent."

"Okay."

She glared at him. "But I will not be nice, you Chlorbag."

Robin blinked. "What exactly does that mean?"

"You shall never know. Now, I will be quiet."

"I thought you said that you couldn't be quiet."

"Robin, do not mess with me. You are lucky I am even looking at you, much less talking."

The made it to their floor and he quietly pushed open the double doors. He stepped back so Starfire could walk through first and earned a sharp glare from her. He sighed slowly, walking behind her.

Reaching her apartment, Starfire slowly pushed it open, then quickly realized that it had been open. Eyebrows drawn together, Starfire slowly crept in. It hit her that Christian was still in his crib.

With stealth, Starfire glanced around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But, knowing her, she had probably accidentally left it cracked when she ran to find Robin. Starfire scoffed at herself. _Smart, Starfire. Running off and leaving a child alone. You'll be one hell of a parent. _

Still, to be on the safe side, she crept silently to Christian's room. She let out a relieved sigh when she saw the tiny form on the bed. She walked over to him, leaned down and pulled the blue blanket over his tiny shoulders. She smiled slightly.

She heard Robin moving in the living room and slowly shook her head. She couldn't believe that her leader had just tried to commit suicide. Ever since she had joined the team and learned of him, he had always been so strong, so confident. But, she mused to herself as she walked into the living room, it had all been a façade. She didn't know why she had always portrayed Robin as a god, like he could do no wrong. She had always thought that no one could defeat her strong warrior. In a way, it had been selfish of her. He was human. He had weaknesses and fears. But she always though him to be better than a human.

Maybe that was the reason he put up such an act. To please others. To be what they wanted him to be. It seemed like he couldn't be himself, didn't know _how_ to be himself. Some of it was her fault. Some of it was the team. But mostly, it was his. He made his own decisions, and paid for them. Maybe he had never had to face his own consequences before.

But this time, he was going to face his problems alone. No matter how it killed her to watch him suffer, she would stand back. His words still stung, smothering most of the guilt. He deserved to be punished. She had done nothing wrong, yet she had paid for it. Because he had been guilty, he found her weakest point and brought it out in the open. She knew she was too tall, too orange, her skin too rough. But for it to be brought out like that, especially by someone whom she loved, it hurt. Painfully. After he had told her in the pool that there would never be anything between them, she had taken the hint. She never expected them to be together after that. Yet he had rubbed it in that she wasn't good enough for him.

Anger flared up again. Hell, he didn't deserve _her_. She could probably even do better than him, but now, all she needed to worry about was what was going through his mind. If he pulled another stunt like jumping off a building, she use good ole brute force to knock some sense into him, even if it did cause a little more damage to his head.

Robin was fixing his make-shift bed on the couch, chunking pillows against the arm rest. His clothes were still wet, strands of black hair sticking to his forehead, a tiny pool forming around his feet.

"You're getting the carpet wet."

He turned to her with a scowl. Starfire fought back a smile. At least he didn't look so forlorn anymore. She watched him as he walked past her and into her room, where his clothes were stuffed in the bottom drawer. She listened as he slammed drawers.

"Christian is asleep, so be quiet."

He grumbled and she heard the bathroom door close slowly. He was being a jerk, she knew, for he shut the door way too sluggish so he was extra quiet.

Starfire rolled her eyes. Robin could be so annoying at times. Starfire slowly stretched as she walked to her closet, lifting her arms over her head and aching her back to stretch out the kinks. That little dive to save Robin pulled a few muscles.

Starfire quickly changed into dry clothes and dived beneath the warm covers. The soothing sound of the shower almost lulled her to sleep, but a disturbing thought hit her. What if Robin tried to kill himself again? If he slept in the living room, he could easily step out without her knowing. There was no way she was going to let that happen. Knowing that he took longer showers, Starfire bounded out of the bed, flew into the living room, and gathered up all the blankets.

She spread out the sheet on the floor beside her bed with a grin. He wouldn't be too happy about sleeping on the floor when he could have the some-what comfortable couch, but she had to keep him in her sight…or hearing. She would make sure to close the door, so if he did sneak out, she would hear and have another good reason to give him the 'can of butt whoop'. Flipping on Christian's baby monitor and locking the door, Starfire climbed back under the covers and closed her eyes.

Robin walked out of the bathroom only minutes later, the fresh scent of soap drifting over her. She heard him walked towards the door, stifling a laugh when he tripped over the pillows she had laid out for him.

Cursing, Robin scrambled up and headed for the door, only to find it locked.

"You are staying in here."

Silence settled over them for a few moments before he asked, "Come again?"

"You are going to sleep in here."

"In here? With you?" he asked incredulously.

"No," she ground out and sat up. "You are to sleep on the floor, where I can keep my eye on you. I do not trust you."

"How comforting," he muttered, glaring at the pillows that he had tripped over.

"You deserve to sleep out in the rain, but seeing as you tried to annihilate yourself, you are to stay in here, on the floor, and to not move a muscle."

"Oh, so I can't move either, huh?" He asked with a sneer, plopping down in the hard floor.

"No, you cannot, for I am much stronger that you and can easily break any bone I choose. That thick skull of yours will be my first target. I am no pacifist when it comes to you anymore."

She heard him sigh. Ignoring it, she turned on her side and closed her eyes. "Go to sleep."

The sheets rustled softly as he settled down, then all was quiet save for the roaring storm outside. Starfire took in a deep breath and tried to sleep. But it never came.

* * *

Raven jerked up in bed as the phone shrilled. With a mumbled curse, she glanced over at her clock. Three-forty-eight A.M. Who would call at such a late hour?

Reaching out, Raven grabbed the cordless phone and answered gruffly. "What?"

Nothing but soft breathing answered her question. It was a damn prank call. Reining in her fury, Raven snapped, "Listen here, buddy. You woke me up from my sleep and I don't take well to punks who—"

"He knows." Came the scratchy voice.

Raven blinked, all fatigue forgotten. "What?"

"He knows." The voice was nothing but a whisper, and Raven couldn't tell if it was a male or female.

"Who knows? Is this some sort of prank or sick joke? If it is, I'll warn you, I don't scare easily."

"Raven…"

Her heart jumped into her throat. "Wh-what? How do…what's…"

"He's angry, Raven. Very angry. You made him mad. Very mad."

"Who? Damnit, who is this?" Raven sat up in bed, vaguely aware of three bodies at her door.

"You're gonna die. You're all gonna die. He's gonna rape and murder you all. He's already planned his first victim. Raven, Raven, Raven, Raven, Raven!" The person kept saying her name like a chant, the voice getting higher and higher.

"How does he know? How do you know? Tell me who you are!"

There was a manic laugh, then it started to mumble incoherently. Raven caught her name and 'you're gonna die' but then it quieted.

"He wants you."

"Who are—"

"I can't tell. He'll hurt me. I already know too much."

"Who'll hurt you?" Raven's mind was going ninety to nothing.

"The White Rose Killer. He watches you when you dress. He watches all of you."

"The…all of us?"

"Hannah. Raven. Starfire. Mallory. Harley. He watches you all. He thinks of you when he kills his victims."

Raven eyes widened. She couldn't think of anything to say. "How do you know my name?"

Raven's eyes flew to the people standing in her doorway. Their eyes were bright in the darkness. "How do you know who we are?"

"He knows."

"But…how?"

"You're gonna die." Then the line went dead.

"Wait!" Nothing but silence. In a fit of rage, Raven threw the phone across the room. It shattered.

"Raven?" Beast Boy asked cautiously.

"Damnit!" The lamp next to her shattered and she jerked. What in the… Her powers were acting up now? But…why?

Shoving off the covers, Raven stood up, but made no other movement. "Jesus." He knew. The bastard knew who she was, who Starfire was.

"What's going on?" Colt asked as he and Beast Boy fought to get into Raven's room at the same time. Their shoulder's got caught, and for a moment, they were stuck.

"Dude, move!" Beast Boy snarled, trying to fight his way in.

"I'm trying, but all your bulk is getting in the way."

Beast Boy growled and morphed into a fly. Colt stumbled forward, crashing onto the ground with a curse.

"Baby," Harley muttered, and hoped over him with her crutches. Colt snarled at her.

"Raven, who was that?" Harley asked, cringing when the book on the bedside table ripped in two.

"He knows. Damnit, the White Rose Killer knows who we are."

All movement stopped. No one even breathed. "Are you sure?" Beast Boy asked.

"Whoever was on the phone said my names. Star's too. They also said Hannah, Harley, and Mallory. They said that he watches us."

Harley's eyes widened. "So he knows everything?"

Raven took a deep breath. "I guess. I don't know how else that that person would know who I was. I don't know how they found out or anything."

"So…where does this lead us if he knows?" Beast Boy asked, eyebrows drawn together.

"Do ya'll go back to the tower?" Harley adjusted the crutches under her arms to get more comfortable.

"I don't know. But right now that's not our problem. Whoever that was said that he already had his first victim planned or something like that. What does that mean?" Raven flicked on the light, blinking her eyes to adjust to the brightness.

"Maybe we should call Twain. He'll want to know," Colt offered, glancing at the shattered phone with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, that's probably best. Raven, call him." Beast Boy blinked when Raven gave him a simmering glare.

He shrugged innocently. "What? I'm always the one to call him in the middle of the night."

Raven walked out of her room to the kitchen, grabbing the handheld and punching in Twain's number. When he answered, his tone was far from friendly.

"Damnit, what's is it with you people calling me in the middle of the night? This is the last time I deal with damn teenagers with button-happy fingers."

"He knows," Raven said simply and the man on the other line went silent.

She heard a mummer, then the shuffling of bed sheets. "Call the other titans and tell them to get over to your apartment now. I'll be there in a minute," he said gruffly and hung up the phone.

Raven quickly called Starfire, waiting impatiently for someone to answer. It was Robin who answered.

"What?" He snapped.

"My, my, everyone seems to be in a good mood," she said monotonously. She heard him growl. Knowing he was going to snap at her, she said quickly, "Wake Starfire up and get over here now."

"Why?"

"Because he knows." Robin cursed, not even saying goodbye as he slammed down the phone. Hanging up, she turned around and glanced at Beast Boy. "They're on their way."

Beast Boy nodded, arms folded over his chest. "Should we call the others?"

Raven shrugged. "I don't know. Twain said only call Robin and Starfire. Anyway, Hannah and Mallory are safe. Hannah is in a hospital and Mallory is…well, I'm sure Wyatt can protect her. So I guess not."

Beast Boy said nothing, just studied her face. Uncomfortable, she brushed by him. He grabbed her arm softly.

"You're taking this a little too well, Rae." He said softly, his green eyes searching hers.

"Is there a certain way I'm supposed to be acting?"

He worried his lower lip, dropping his hand from her arm. "No. I guess not. It's just that he knows who you are. I'd be scared out of my mind. Hell, I am right now and I'm not even a target. But…never mind. I forget that you don't do fear." He smiled softly and walked away from her to join the others in the living room. Since Colt and Beast Boy were forced to sleep in the living room, they took the time to gather up all the pillows and blankets that littered the couch and floor. Unfortunately, it had been Colt's turn on the couch so Beast Boy was forced to bend to get his bedding.

Twain was the first one to show up, looking ruggedly handsome with his hair unruly and his clothes wrinkled. He scowled at nothing in particular, making himself at home by sitting down on the couch next to Harley. Colt sneered at the detective. He had been on his way to sit beside Harley, and that dumb man had taken his seat. Twain caught the look and sneered back. Colt perched on the arm of the couch and Harley watched in amusement as the two snarled at each other, her bright eyes going from Twain to Colt and back again. How could some men make a scowl so darned attractive? she wondered, but tried to focus on the important matters at hand.

"What happened?" Twain asked tightly, wrenching his gaze from the teenaged boy.

Raven folded her arms under her chest. "Shouldn't we wait until Starfire and Robin get here so I don't have to repeat myself?"

Twain sighed. "Whatever."

Beside her, Beast Boy stifled a yawn. He stood for a few more second before plopping into a dining room chair and slouching.

They sat (or stood, in Raven's case) in silence as they waited for the other team members. Raven's eyes dropped with a fatigue, but she managed to keep them open. Beast Boy, on the other hand, was already asleep, his legs straddling the chair, and using his arms for a makeshift pillow.

The knock at the door woke him from his temporary slumber and he groaned, rubbing his eyes like a child. Starfire walked in, shoulders slumped in exhaustion, and Robin followed behind her, a sleeping toddler in his arms.

Robin asked if he could lay Christian down on a bed, and Raven nodded, motioning to her room with her hand. When Robin appeared again, toddler free, everyone settled down somewhere, Robin and Starfire sitting Indian-style on the floor.

"What is this about?" Starfire asked quietly, her gaze going from Raven to Twain.

Raven rolled her stiff shoulders. "I just got a call from someone saying that the White Rose Killer knew who we were and that we were all going to die. They didn't say who they were, and when I asked, they said that he'd hurt them. Whoever it was, they didn't sound right in the mind."

Twain rubbed his hand over his face. "So all this trouble for nothing. He already knows who you are."

"Yeah. So…do we go back to the tower?" Robin asked.

Sighing, Twain leaned back against the cushions. "I don't know. It'd probably be best if you just stay where you are and act like nothing happened. Damnit. I guess this means that the White Rose Killer is someone in my division."

"Either that or this guy has someone in high places that he's getting his info from."

Twain crossed his long legs at the ankle, teeth worrying his lower lip. "No, I don't think so. I think that the White Rose Killer is someone in my department. Only they know what's going on and they know better than to leak information like this. All the officers on this case where sent to a special school that deals with secrets and crap like that. Anyway, why would they risk their job and reputation on giving a pedophile information? Whoever the WRK is, he's not right in the head. It has to be someone on my force." Twain was lost in his own thoughts, his dark eyes troubled.

"So," Harley asked slowly, "what are you going to do?"

Twain shrugged. "I don't know. Now I have to think of everyone as a suspect."

Colt snaked a glance at Harley. "Including Harley's father?"

Harley's eyes widened. "But he would never do anything like this! I mean, he's my father and I was one of the victims. That's just—"

"He's one of the ones who know everything. I'm sorry, Harley, but he is one of the top suspects now."

She sank back against the cushions, eyes unseeing. "Jesus."

"But it doesn't mean his is the one, Harley," Starfire soothed, laying a hand on the girl's knee.

"I can't take any chances. This is too important. Like I said before, who ever this is doesn't think right. It could be you're father."

Harley flinched visibly. Twain earned five glares from the other teens.

"Would you like me to lie and say that there is no way he is the White Rose Killer? What if he is? I don't give out false hope, kids. Do you think I like the fact that one of my closets friends could be the WRK? Any of my colleagues could be him. Not a comforting fact."

"So what do we do now?" Raven asked.

"I don't know. I guess all we can do is keep you inside your apartment until the dance. That's all we can do. So, uh, just go back to sleep and we'll…hell, I don't know. We'll just play it by ear. I would keep someone posted near you, but I can't trust any of my workers. Can ya'll do well on your own?"

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Starfire and I can. We're stronger than the average human."

Robin and Beast Boy snorted. "That's no lie." Robin muttered under his breath. "Starfire's got an arm from hell." To prove his point, he rubbed his tender head. Starfire smirked uncharacteristically, making Raven and Beast Boy raise an eyebrow while Robin muttered about sucker-punching aliens under his breath.

Twain ignored them. "Can you hold you own, Davis?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Well, there's nothing else I can do for you, so I'm going to head home and do a background check on my entire department. Just stay inside and keep each other in eyesight. Got it?"

They mumbled their replies, too tired to say anymore. Twain walked out, his mind troubled. Was it possible that the White Rose Killer had been under his nose the entire time? Could his friends actually be the pedophile? The ever-present migraine pounded in his temple.

_Well_, he mused to himself as he climbed into his car, _looks like another sleepless night for Alexander Twain. _

* * *

Silence settled over the teenagers as they contemplated the truth. Colt slyly sat down beside Harley, wrinkling his nose when he received a dull look from her.

"Well, this is the first time that I don't know what to do about a situation at hand," Robin muttered, leaning back and using his hands as a brace.

Starfire snorted in disbelief, blushing when all eyes turned to her. She cleared her throat and picked at the carpet.

Robin's eye twitched in anger. "As I was saying," he ground out, throwing Starfire a dangerous look, "I don't know what we should do."

Harley turned, laying her legs in Colt's lap and using the arm of the couch for a backrest. "Twain said we were supposed to just stay—"

"Who cares what Twain said," Beast Boy interrupted, arching his back to get the uncomfortable kinks out. "It seems he's gotten us in more trouble than anything. It was his stupid idea that got us into this. I wouldn't be surprised if he was the White Rose Killer himself."

Beast Boy stopped in mid arch, his eyes going wide. "Wait a second. That would explain a lot of things if you think about it."

Robin sat up straighter. "You're right. He knows everything that's been going on. I mean, he knows Harley personally, and no one out side of the police office knew that Mallory had been in the wreck with Starfire. It all adds up."

Raven folded her arms under her chest. "Yes, that's true, but anyone could be the White Rose Killer. Twain's entire division knows everything as well. Twain is not the only suspect here."

"Raven's right. Just because he knows more doesn't make him the killer," Starfire said, earning a sharp glare from Robin.

"He said before that anyone in his department could be him. My father is even a suspect." Harley added, turning her head when Raven's door opened and a sleepy toddler waddled out, a stuffed superhero clutched to his chest.

Christian looked around sleepily, and, spotting Starfire, walked to her. Instinctively, she opened her arms to the little boy so he could crawl in her lap. Resting his head on her shoulder, he drifted off into sleep.

"Yeah, but still, he seems like the type to rape little girls," Colt added, and the men exchanged glances.

"I don't think it's him," Raven said bluntly.

Beast Boy glared at her, which she returned with a snarl. "Why does it seem as if you're protecting him?"

"First off, I don't detect any evil in him, and second—"

"He is just plain handsome." Starfire giggled innocently when Robin's right eye twitched in anger.

"Ah-ha!" Beast Boy said, pointing a finger at each girl. "You're protecting the guy because you think he's attractive!"

Beast Boy shrunk when all three women glared daggers at him. "No, you idiot," Raven said monotonously, "It's because it doesn't make sense to peg him as the killer. Why would he go through all that trouble? Why would he ask us to go undercover—"

"To get to you." Robin interrupted, earning a sharp look from Raven.

"—just to get to us? Why would he have any reason to want us?"

"For someone who acts so smart, you sure are stupid." Beast Boy yelped as a lamp came flying towards his head. He dove sideways, the lamp missing his ear by mere centimeters. Raven jerked it back to her side before it could crash into the wall and calmly sat it down back on the side table.

Eyes wide with fright, Beast Boy scrambled to Starfire and Robin, plopping down between them. "Now, as I was saying…" he trailed off, glancing up at Raven. He blinked rapidly, then sat behind Starfire so he could finish what he was saying without being pummeled by flying furniture.

He peeked over Starfire shoulder and continued to talk, eyes searching for flying object the entire time, "Because you are both equally attractive, and maybe he has had like an obsession with you or something. We're known throughout Jump City and Gothem so maybe while the news or whatever taped one of our many fights, he got an idea to take you as his own."

"Maybe, but why would he wait so late to come and get us? The White Rose Killer was known months before all this happened."

Beast Boy glared at her like she was stupid. "He could have had this planned for a while, Raven. His obsession could have started years before. Without raping and murdering all the other women, why would we want to help him? He's probably a bloody genius, and we fell into his trap."

Raven sighed. "But we still don't know. It could be anybody, Beast Boy. There are so many possibilities it's not even funny. For all we know, the principal of Jump City Private School could be him. Do you know how many people do know about all this? So we can't just concentrate on Twain alone. We have to worry about Ortega, Waylin, and the rest of the police force. Just because you don't like him doesn't mean he's the killer."

"And just because you like him doesn't mean he isn't." Robin added.

Starfire rolled her eyes. "Okay, so maybe Twain might be the White Rose Killer, but we cannot be certain. If you wish, you can research Twain all you please while we keep an eye out for other possibilities. Deal?"

"Hey, I like that idea," Harley said, ignoring the glare that Colt gave her. "It'll make us all happy. And if Twain is the killer, then you can congratulate yourselves later. But now, let's just worry about staying in one piece, hmm? Frankly, I want to live to see my twentieth birthday."

"But I'm not used to sitting around and doing nothing." Beast Boy whined.

Raven raised an eyebrow, but before she could make a sarcastic remark about his statement, his added, "But we've never dealt with things like this before."

"Well, this might be different, but we can still deal with it like we used to." Robin said with confidence that he didn't feel.

"Prowl the streets and hope someone jumps up and proclaims that they're mad?" Beast Boy snorted. "I'd like to see that."

"You got a better idea?" Robin snapped, his mouth forming a sneer.

"No need to get snappy, Robin. I was just saying that there really is nothing we can do but wait. We could…I dunno, make a list of possible suspects or something, but other than that, all we can do is sit here and try to act like nothing is wrong."

"You wanna make a list of suspects?" Robin asked with a raised eyebrow.

Beast Boy glared at him. "Got a better idea, Boy Wonder?"

"Well, there's nothing else to do, and I don't know about you all, but I am far from tired." Harley adjusted her feet in Colt's lap with a sigh. "I'm too worked up now."

"True. I am also not tired any longer," Starfire said quietly, adjusting Christian in her arms. The movement woke him and he sleepy blinked his eyes as he pushed himself off of her.

He plopped down on the floor and watched the teens with tired eyes. Raven shifted on her feet, catching the toddlers interest. Too tired to even walk, he crawled toward her.

Raven blinked at the little boy as he came toward her, her face filled with apprehension. He didn't want her to pick him up, did he? She wasn't exactly good with children so she slowly backed up. Christian stopped mid crawl to glare at her for moving and making his trip longer than it needed to be.

Beast Boy watched Raven's face with amusement. "Are you scared of a baby, Raven?"

"No," she snapped quickly, making Robin chuckled.

"He just wants you to hold him, Raven," Robin said, lips curled in a smirk. Raven had the insane urge to snarl at him.

"I'm not afraid of a toddler."

"Umm-hmm." Beast Boy hummed, grinning innocently when her eye twitched.

Raven glanced down when she felt a tiny pull at the hem of her black pajama bottom's. Christian glanced up at her with big gray eyes, his arms outstretched so she could pick him up.

Finding she couldn't resist, Raven sighed and bent down to pick him up while throwing a look at the rest of them.

Christian settled in her arms and drifted off to sleep.

"That's something you don't see everyday," Robin muttered under his breath.

"What do you mean by that?" Raven bit out, trying to make her voice sound unemotional.

"You being afraid of a mere child." He laughed softly at the death look she threw his way. "Though I will admit, he's a bit too intelligent for my taste. No kids should be that smart at his age. He's like…a genius."

Raven took the only free chair in the living room, hesitantly adjusting the little boy in her arms. Never in her life had she though that she would actually hold something so sweet, so innocent. She felt like she was tainting the little boy just by holding him. Her self-conscious got the better of her and she tried to pry the boy from her, but his tiny arms tightened around her neck.

"Come on, Raven. He's just a baby." Beast Boy was watching her strangely, his eyebrows drawn together. He was looking at her as if he couldn't believe that she was so low to not even want to hold a baby. "If you really don't want to hold him, I can take him."

"He's fine," she muttered, Christian's soft scent filling her nose.

"Are you sure?" Starfire asked, keeping her eyes on Raven even as she glared.

"He's fine," she repeated slowly.

They dropped it after that and decided that maybe Beast Boy's idea of making a suspect list wasn't such a horrible idea. And, of course, since it was his idea, he was the lucky one to write.

"Okay, so the number one suspect is Twain." They paused as Beast Boy quickly scribbled down the name. Next to him, Robin slowly bent forward to read his writing.

"Can you actually read that?" He asked suddenly, earning a sharp look from Beast Boy, who snatched the paper from Robin's prying eyes.

"Of course I can." He said, tilting his head to read his own sloppy writing. "It just takes me awhile."

Robin rolled his eyes and snatched the paper and pen from his hands. He flipped it over and calmly wrote Twain's name down in his neat, precise handwriting. Beast Boy scowled at the blue ink and the practical letters.

"You're so boring," Beast Boy pouted, earning a glare from Robin.

"And you're sloppy." Robin snarled, jerking his hand back when Beast Boy tried to rip the paper from his hands. He lifted the paper above his head with a triumphant look, using his free hand to chunk the pen at Beast Boy. It hit his mark: Beast Boy's forehead.

Robin laughed like a child, pointing his finger at the red mark on Beast Boy's forehead, his earlier attempts at suicide fleeing his mind for a short moment. Beast Boy growled, diving for the paper. Starfire sighed at their behavior, easily plucking the paper from Robin's fingertips. He blinked rapidly, turning his eyes to her. She merely gave him a blank look as she picked up the discarded pen.

"Who is next?" Harley snickered as Beast Boy and Robin growled at each other.

"Ortega?"

"Alright." Starfire wrote down the name, her head bowed over the paper. She admired her beautiful Victorian-style writing as she added unnecessary twirls to certain letters.

"Waylin," Raven added, noticing the way that Harley flinched.

"Umm-hmm," Starfire hummed distractedly as she wrote everything else down.

"Is that all?" Colt asked, resting his arms against Harley's legs.

"Uh…I don't know," Robin admitted, his 'battle' with Beast Boy ending as reality settled in once again. "I can't think of anyone else that knows about everything."

"So…right now, we have three main suspects. What do we do now?" Colt asked, but the titans just shrugged.

"Beats me." Beast Boy muttered.

"Big surprise there," Robin mumbled, eyebrow arching in amusement when Beast Boy growled.

Christian stretched in Raven's arms, burrowing deeper into her arms. Raven shifted uncomfortably as Batman bit into her skin.

"So now we just sit here?" Harley asked, smothering a yawn.

"I guess."

Harley grimaced. "I think I'll go to my room." Carefully throwing her legs to the floor, Harley stood on her crutches with skilled ease. She had gotten used to the damn things.

She paused when she got to her door and glanced at Colt, eyebrow raised. "Are you coming or not?"

Like a puppy following his master's command, Colt scrambled up and followed, earning disgusted looks from the other men.

"Harley?" Raven called out before they could disappear into her room.

"Hmm?"

"Don't forget the music." Raven's lips curled slightly as Harley and Colt's face flushed red.

But then Harley grinned, throwing Colt a smug look. "We won't." After the door shut, Raven could have sworn that Colt fainted.

* * *

_Maybe this wasn't the best idea he had ever had. Attacking and kidnapping a woman in a public place. This Jump City hospital always bustled with life, cameras positioned every four feet. But then again, he did have a few friends here that helped out. So, on the floor holding Hannah Jones, all cameras were fixed where the hall was quiet and would stay that way until morning. It helped that he had a bit of computer animation skills and a load of money. The guards were young, just out of high school, and were easily swayed. Well, that and the fact that he threatened to kill their families. They did have adorable little sisters and cousins… The nurse was 'sleeping', thanks to the pill he had slipped into her coffee when she went to check on the girl earlier this evening. Unfortunately, the drug he had slipped into her drink would take time, so he had been forced to return home and get things together before he came back. God, this was too easy_

_He used the stairs to get to Hannah's room, and by the time he was on her floor, he was winded. He had to start working out more. Pressing his hand against the wall, he closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing. When he finally felt somewhat human, he pushed open the doors slowly. He wasn't going to take any chances. A janitor or nurse could walk in any second and at the moment, the only blood he wished upon his hands was Hannah's. His blood heated with arousal at the thought. _

_He cocked his gun and adjusted the silencer before stepping out into the hallway. The lights were glowing dully, making the green walls look sickly. Keeping eye on the slumbering nurse, the White Rose Killer slowly walked to Hannah's room. He stood there for a moment. _

_He knew that damn mayor's nephew was in there, so he had to be extra careful. There was no way another one was going to get away from him. So if worst come to worst, he thought, then I'll just kill him. He rolled his eyes at how lame the thought sounded. _

_He pushed open the door, his eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. He could make out two beds, yet had no idea which one Hannah slept in. He bowed his head at his own stupidity. He had planned everything out, yet he forgot to ask which damn bed was hers. Smart. Real smart._

_Leaving the door cracked, he crept in, eyes studying the beds intently. He figured that the one by the window was the boy, and prayed that he had guessed right. He really didn't want to deal with an angry boyfriend right now. _

_Pressing a hand to his side to make sure it was still there, he cautiously walked to the bed he hoped Hannah Jones slept in. He let out a quiet sigh when he spotted the blonde hair spread out across the pillow and draping over the edge of the bed. _

_But he paused. Maybe he should make sure the boy would be no trouble…he did have enough chloroform to knock out about three people, but he had thought that the more he used, the longer she would stay out. _

_Though he knew it was stupid, he wanted to kidnap all five before he actually raped them. Not exactly the smartest plan, but he had good reason behind it all. So, for now, all he was going to do was drug her, carefully carry her down the stairs, chunk her in his 'borrowed' van, and be done with it. Ethan Matthews would never know what happened. _

_Grabbing his trusty syringe, his slid the needle into the clear liquid, pulling it out when it was almost full. He sighed deeply, trying to push down the excitement. Oh how he loved doing this. _

_With precision, he slid Hannah's hair away from her neck and pressed the needle to the soft skin. He almost slid the tip in when she stirred, her bright blue eyes fluttering open. His heart stopped in his chest as her eyes focused on him and widened. _

_Shit. She knew he was no doctor because of the black ski-mask covering his face. He should have already slid the needle into her skin, but his hands shook as fear mounted. _

_Hannah screamed, making Ethan jerked up in his bed and tumble out. This would have been hilarious had he not been so freaking shocked that he had been caught. _

_Ethan scrambled up and was already racing toward him in the darkness. Damn the boy could run. Without a second thought, the White Rose Killer pulled out his gun and fired. The shot was muffled so no one would hear it on the other floors. He didn't know if he missed and didn't wait to find out. He ran out of the room, shoving his body through the stair doors. He was already scrambling down the stairs when he heard the slam open and heard Ethan's curse. _

_"Get your sorry ass back here!" Ethan yelled as he hopped down the stairs two at a time. With more speed then he knew he had, the White Rose Killer ran, occasionally slamming into a wall when a new floor started. _

_Suddenly, he was thrown off balance as a body slammed into him. They tumbled down a flight of stairs, crashing into a near by wall. The gun slid from his grasp. He felt like his bones has been smashed into tiny pieces, but the adrenaline pushed him. He scrambled up, but fell back down when Ethan grabbed his ankle and yanked. Hard._

_This kid was really pushing his luck. With his free leg, his struck out, his heel connecting with the boy's cheek. Ethen cursed in pain, but the grip on the White Rose Killer's ankle did not loosen. _

_"You really think that you can defeat me, little man?" He snarled, trying to jerk his ankle from the crushing grasp. _

_"You haven't gotten away from me yet."_

_The White Rose Killer reached for his gun with the intention of murder. But high up on floor, he heard the door slam open and the sound of boots running down the stairs. He panicked. _

_"They know you're here," the boy snarled, spitting out blood. "You're done for."_

_With a grin, the White Rose Killer aimed behind him and shot. Though the bullet slammed into the boy's side, he knew it wouldn't be deadly. And he regretted his sorry aim. _

_The grip loosened as Ethan grabbed his bleeding wound. Scrambling up, the White Rose Killer grinned manically. "She will be mine and there is nothing you can do. No one gets away from the White Rose Killer!" With that, he ran down the stairs and disappeared from sight._

* * *

Damnit!" Ethan snarled as the pain reared up in his side. He watched helplessly as the White Rose Killer escaped but he knew there was nothing he could do. Not only was he bleeding, but he figured that he had twisted or broken something on that tumble down the stairs. He left hand flared with pain and he couldn't move it at all.

Ethan glanced up as guards gathered around him, each toting a cocked gun. He watched in a pain-filled haze as and middle-aged doctor kneeled down beside him, eyes wide.

"Are you okay?"

Ethan pushed himself up with his bloodied right hand, only to collapse as pain flared through his entire body.

"What do you think?" He managed to say, grimacing at the metallic taste of blood that filled his mouth.

"Oh my," the doctor muttered, snapping out orders to the guards that had stayed behind. The rest had followed the White Rose Killer out the back door.

Two young guards slowly helped Ethan up, sliding his arms around their shoulders. He had tried to stand on his own, but had only collapsed as dizziness took hold.

Thankfully, both guards were a tad bit shorter than him so it was easy to lean on them. He hated depending on someone to help him, but right now his body was in too much pain. He would probably feel a hell of a lot better had he not toppled down the stairs.

They walked slowly as he limped up the stairs, pausing once in a while when he groaned in pain. The dark haired guard with small, wire-rimmed glasses glanced down to find his uniform drenched in blood and he couldn't help but gag.

Ethan noticed and raised an eyebrow. "You picked the wrong profession if you can't handle blood."

"But I'm only a guard," he whined, grounding his teeth against the stench of blood.

"Grow up, Masters," his partner muttered, pushing open the door with his shoulder as they headed toward Hannah's room. "Its just blood. Hospitals usually have a fair amount of the stuff."

"Hardy har-har," the dark haired guard muttered. "Very funny, Jameson."

"I thought so." The pushed open Hannah's door and ushered the injured teenager onto his bed. Ethan grimaced as pain shot through his body. He shut his eyes tightly, biting the inside of his mouth to hold back a groan.

"Ethan? What happened?" He cracked open one eye to see Hannah sitting on her bed, her blue eyes wide and her hair tousled around her shoulders and down her back.

"Nothing," he muttered, grimacing when the doctor scrambled in. A nurse followed behind with a metal tray. He caught sight of the needles and couldn't stop the frown.

"Alright, young man, I need you to take that shirt off for me so we can see that gun shot wound."

"Gun shot wound?" Hannah repeated, her eyes growing wider.

They ignored her as the doctor worked Ethan's lose shirt over his head. Ethan yelped when the movement jarred his wrist.

"Oh my," the doctor muttered as he lifted the broken wrist with his hand. Ethan hissed through his teeth when the doctor prodded his wrist.

"Mrs. Winston," the doctor said to the old nurse, "I need to have this X-rayed to see the damage."

"Yes sir. Should I ready it immediately?"

"Yes, please do. But now I need to see how deep this wound of his is." After working Ethan down on his back, the doctor studied the wound that slit across the teen's lower rib. It was bleeding profusely, but it was not deep at all.

"Well, my boy, this won't even need stitches." As he slathered the cut with a cream and put the bandage on, a tall, dark-skinned man walked in.

"Doctor. Hammel, we found the bullet."

"Good, good," the doctor muttered as he worked. "Go into my office and find Alexander Twain's number. Call it and tell him exactly what you found."

"Yes sir. But we didn't catch the criminal."

"I didn't think you would." Dr. Hammel muttered. "But get Twain here immediately."

"Yes sir."

"And would you wake that good-for-nothing nurse up? I don't see how she could have…" the doctor trailed off, realization hitting him. "Oh. Never mind." The guard blinked before disappearing into the hallway to do his task.

The doctor patted Ethan's stomach, making him flinch. "That was a brave thing you did there, son. Going after him as you did."

Ethan grunted, but regretted it when pain flared again. The doctor grinned. "How'd that fall feel?"

"Horrible." Ethan muttered. "How'd you know I fell?"

"The bruises, son. I haven't been a doctor for twenty years for nothing, you know."

Ethan groaned. The foul taste of blood still filled his mouth and it was starting to have its affect on him. He sat up slowly, lightly pushing the doctor aside as he stumbled to the bathroom to spit out the blood.

The doctor walked in with a cup. Ethan took it gratefully, turning the knob and filling the cup with water. After somewhat cleaning his mouth out, Ethan risked looking in the mirror. He grimaced.

Not only was his cheek bruised a hideous black and blue, the right side of his lip was swollen and cut. His left shoulder was starting to bruise as were his ribs. He groaned at his appearance.

"It's not that bad, kid," the doctor said sympathetically.

"Yeah right," Ethan muttered, glancing down at his useless left hand. It throbbed painfully.

"Come on. We'll go get that X-ray. I'm positive that you'll need a cast so the faster we get this done, the faster your wrist heels."

"Whatever," Ethan muttered, blinking back the dizziness and pain. He just wanted to get this over with and go to sleep.

"Miss Jones will have the guards here with her while we get you settled." The doctor stated when Ethan flinched at the thought of leaving her alone. He had almost already lost her to the damn White Rose Killer and he was not willing to have the chance of leaving her behind and have that bastard attack again.

Ethan walked out with the doctor, cradling his wrist in his hand. Good God, it hurt. That was the last time he tackled a human being down cement stairs, especially when that human being has a damn gun nearby.

Hours later, Ethan stumbled into the hospital room, his side throbbing painfully and his left hand in a dark blue cast.

He had taken his medicine that would knock his butt out, and now, as he fell onto his bed, his was starting to feel the affects. With his head and chest the only thing on the bed, he didn't realize that he had company until his injured hand came in contact with silk cloth and hot skin.

He blinked, thinking that the medicine had left him loopy, when he glanced up to see Hannah sitting on the end of his bed. He also realized that the skin he was touching was her thigh, but he really didn't want to move right now.

"Ethan?" She asked quietly and he groaned.

"I know, I know," he mumbled sleepily, pulling his hand back and somehow crawling onto the bed without toppling over the edge. Adjusting himself, he managed to get onto his back with little pain.

"Ethan?" she asked again and he lifted his head to see if he was touching something inappropriately.

"Hmm?" He closed his eyes with a sigh, so looking forward to sleeping.

"How do you feel?"

"Like I tumbled down a flight of stairs and got shot." He laid his cast in his stomach and sighed again. His body was slowly starting to feel better, though he did feel a tad bit loopy.

"Ethan?"

He groaned, eyes still closed. "Yes, Hannah?" Could the girl not see his was in la-la-land?

He felt her move his hand from his stomach gently, but paid no mind. He had no idea what the girl was doing and he was too damn tired to care.

That was until he felt her slim body on top of his and her mouth gently pressing against his innocently. His eyes shot open as she gazed down at him, her hair creating a curtain around them.

She smiled shyly, cheeks flushed with a blush. "Thank you."

"I…uh…um….er…you're welcome?"

She grinned and rested her head against his chest. Though he hated to admit it, his body was sore under hers, but there was no way in hell he was going to ask her to move. Right now, he was on her good side and he planned on staying that way.

His eyes fluttered shut as the medication worked its magic. "Why am I welcoming you?"

She chuckled lightly. "For trying to protect me."

"All I did was tackle him down the stairs." He said on a sleepy sigh.

"Yes, and took a bullet as well. You didn't have to go after him."

"'Course I did."

"Why?"

"I wasn't going to let him take you away from me again."

Hannah's heart leaped in her throat as she snuggled her head against his shoulder. Did that mean that he had cared for her before she was taken? Or was it the medication talking?

At the moment, Hannah really didn't care. All she wanted was to go to sleep and try to block the disturbing thought from her mind: She had almost been taken again.

* * *

Twenty-eight pages! Ah-ha! Told you this would be the longest chapter yet! Wow. I tried to add a bit of action to it, and I had started to realize that the chapter had very little romance in it (I couldn't believe it. Me writing something that doesn't revolve around romance?) so I had to add the whole Ethan/Hannah thing. Sorry if the titans seem a bit OOC, but hey, I'm the one writing it so if you don't like it, read something else…lol, just kidding. Anyways, I'll try and stop writing the ever annoying author notes like this…they just get tiring. So until next time! 


	30. Chapter Twenty Nine: January 20th

Damnit…my computer deleted this chapter…but, thankfully, luck was on my side, for I had already sent the entire chapter to my beta reader, so I was able to copy and paste this from the email. I'm so sorry about the funky paragraphs, but I had to spend all my time fixing stupid mistakes, like italics and crap like that. There will probably be mistakes again because I had to go back and fix things, so I'm really sorry. But hey, this is fifty-three pages long, so maybe that will make up for the funkiness…I could have gone back and fixed everything, but I'm way too lazy, and I figured you'd forgive me for taking so long and having this chapter all funkyfied if I posted this as soon as I could, so…hopefully you'll like the chapter…

* * *

Starfire rested her elbows against her knees as Darcy ran a brush through her hair, cupping her jaw in her hands as she tried to concentrate on what the girls  
were talking about. Gathered in her room were Mallory, Hannah, Raven, Harley, and Bumblebee, and each one was talking about something different. Well, Raven just  
scowled at everyone while she leaned her back against the bed.

It was still hours until the dance, but Twain had decided that it would be best if they started things early and did it all in one place, so Darcy and Marty  
would not have to travel back and forth. Starfire was the first to be fixed, so the other girls were lounging about, talking casually about anything and nothing.

The reason Bumblebee was here was, one, she didn't want to be left out, and two, she would be watching Christian while they went to the dance. She had been  
the one to volunteer when Starfire and Mallory brought up the fact that there was no one to watch Christian, and had said that it would be a good time to practice watching a kid since she wanted a family. Cyborg had visibly paled then flushed when she made the comment that she didn't know if he was even capable of producing kids, but she was fine with adopting.

Behind her, Darcy fluttered about, trying to decide what hairdo would look best with the dress. She had finally decided to just pile the mane atop the girl's head in a fashionable manner, and thought that a small, thin diamond crown that would encircle the  
curls would be perfect. She would even be nice and leave a few wisps of curls down to caress her bare shoulders. The undercover girl's dress (with the rest of the others) were laid out across the floor, all covered in protective plastic that would keep them from harm (or the sticky fingers of a toddler). Darcy blanched when she saw each dress, for they probably cost more than her entire years' pay.

Christian was now sitting in Raven's lap while his  
mother showered, for she was the next in line, and he  
was tugging on Raven's simple braid that fell over her  
shoulder. Raven sighed as he gave it a sharp tug, but  
every time she would throw her hair behind her  
shoulder, he would glare and snatch it back. She had  
given up long ago.

"I really wish I didn't have to go to this stupid  
dance," Hannah muttered as she leaned back against  
Starfire's headboard. "I mean I have to be in a  
wheelchair. That's so embarrassing. And I hate  
dances." She unconsciously ran her finger along the  
cast on her arm with a scowl. "I can't wait until this  
thing comes off."

"Don't you have another surgery coming up?" Harley  
asked as she kicked her feet back and forth like a  
child would do. She was laying on her stomach across  
the bed, feet in the air and hand cradling her cheek  
as she stared at the wall.

"I think. At least that's what they say."

"What exactly do they have to do?"

Hannah shrugged her good shoulder. "Beats me. But I  
don't think I want to know."

Bumblebee stretched her arms above her head and stood  
up. "I heard that you were attacked again."

Hannah groaned. "Yeah, and Ethan was hurt because he  
went chasing after him like a lunatic."

"Ethan is the one with the cast, right?" Bumblebee  
asked, still confused on who everyone was.

"Yeah. He tackled the guy down the stairs, I think. At  
least that's what he muttered when Twain interviewed  
him."

"I can't believe he's the mayor's nephew. He's way too  
pretty to seem like he's related to that fat old man,"  
Harley muttered as she flipped onto her back to sit  
up. "I hate that man, I really do. Jump City's gone to  
hell ever since he was elected Mayor. It is like the  
crime rate doubled or something."

"It has." Raven spoke up for the first time since they had come  
in here. "Since he was elected, villains have been  
popping up everywhere. And it so happens that when we  
catch a villain, they are somehow released and start  
their rampage again."

"You know, once I think about it, the mayor has been  
growing richer every time a villain is let loose. Do  
you think he's the one who lets them out and pays them  
to steal for him?" Hannah asked.

"Who knows? I mean I wouldn't put it past the guy. He  
promises to donate money to the orphanage, but that  
poor place has not seen a penny yet. He's a creep if  
you ask me," Harley said, tightening the red ribbon in  
her hair.

"He's not too happy with paying the Titans for protecting Jump City, either,"  
Raven said as Christian tried to get on the bed. He  
was jumping up and down, but his little body was too  
short to allow him up there. Rolling her eyes, she  
grabbed the boy by the waist and hauled him over her  
head. He squealed in delight as Harley grabbed him  
from Raven's hands and dropped him down gently so he  
bounced.

"Damn," Mallory muttered from the bathroom as she  
plopped down on the toilet to wrestle on her shorts. "I  
swear to God I'm gonna kill that bastard when I get  
the chance."

"Having problems?" Bumblebee called out, dark eyebrow  
raised.

Mallory mumbled something else as she gathered her  
crutches under her arms and pushed forward. "Do you  
know how hard it is taking a bloody shower and not get  
this damn cast wet?"

"Yeah, I know," Harley and Hannah said in unison.

"When I get my hand on that White Rose Killer, I swear  
I'll kill him."

"You'll have to wait in line, kid," Darcy muttered as  
she pinned Starfire's hair up. "Everyone wants that  
bastard dead."

Christian launched himself at his mother's arms the minute  
she sat down, burring his head in her shoulder and  
taking in her scent. He had missed her so much and now  
that she was here, he wasn't going to let her out of  
his sight.

"No kidding," Bumblebee muttered. "I don't even know  
the guy and I want him dead. Sparky's told me about a  
lot of the crap he's done. He's a sick bastard, that's  
for sure. He's hurt way too many people. Hell, he's  
worse than Brother Blood."

Mallory unconsciously stroked the bandage across her  
son's eyebrow. "It's hard to believe all this is  
happening." She said softly, laying her cheek against  
her son's soft hair. "Before this, all I had to worry  
about was how I was going to raise Christian by  
myself, and now, not only am I being targeted by a  
murderer, but Wyatt wants to help raise Christian with  
me."

"So Wyatt is now participating in Christian's life?"  
Starfire asked.

"Yeah. He said he'd rather die before he spent another  
day without us. He promised that he would find a house  
that would be prefect for us, seeing as it would be a  
hassle for him to live with my parent or me live with  
his mother. Wyatt's already got everything planned  
out." With a grin, she lifted her left hand to stare  
at the engagement ring that caught the light of the  
sun.

Harley gasped in wonder as she snatched Mallory's hand  
and tilted it to study the diamond ring. "Damn," she  
muttered, "that's one helluva ring."

"It was his grandmother's ring on his mother's side.  
She was a wealthy woman. Still is, actually. She's  
traveling in France now with her seventh husband."

"What does the ring mean?" Starfire asked innocently. "I do not remember what the significance is. I think I read about it before, but I do not remember exactly  
what it means."

Everyone except Raven was surprised that she didn't  
know what the ring was. Blinking rapidly, Mallory  
explained, "It's an engagement ring. It means that  
Wyatt asked me to marry him and I said yes. I guess  
signifies that we're engaged to be married. When the  
day comes, he'll give me a simple gold ring that means  
that we're finally married. It's ¦just a way of saying  
that he and I are going to marry." Her eyebrows drew  
together. "I explained that right, right?"

Harley shrugged. "Sounded fine to me."

"So you are now engaged to be married, correct?" Starfire asked, cringing slightly when Darcy tugged on a lock of hair.

"Er, yeah. We planned it next year so we can finish school."

"Wow. Guess your life is starting anew, huh?" Harley  
said as she dropped Mallory's hand.

"I guess."

Harley sighed deeply. "Good luck." She flopped back down, arms folded under her head as she gazed at the ceiling.

Raven turned her head slightly to the side, her lips forming a small smirk. "I forgot to ask, but how did you and Colt fare when you went into your room?"

Her sea-green eyes widened before she masked her shock. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't lie, Harley. You know good and well what I'm talking about. But if not, let me refresh your memory. The night I got that call and we were all in the  
living room with Twain. After we made that stupid list, you went off with Colt and said that you wouldn't forget the music--"

She shifted uncomfortably as she interjected, "Okay, so I remember."

"Well?"

"I thought people said that the great almighty Raven of the teen titans didn't care about other people and their problems."

Raven ignored her remark and raised an eyebrow. "Don't  
avoid the subject. What exactly happened between you  
two?"

Instead of the blush that Raven had expected, Harley  
scowled. "Nothing," she snarled as her eyes narrowed.  
"The minute the door closed, that idiot scrambled away  
from me like I was a disease or something. At first, I  
didn't think he was trying to get away from me, but I  
guess he was, because the minute I moved, he started  
rambling about how it was a bad idea and how this was  
not what he wanted."

She sighed. "I was only moving towards my bed to sit  
down because the crutches were getting a bit  
uncomfortable and he thinks I'm going to rape him or  
something. I guess he doesn't want me. He's giving  
way too many mixed signals. I mean he said he wanted  
to be more than friends, but the minute were alone,  
he's like a virgin on her wedding night."

"Colt Davis? Is that who you're talking about?"  
Mallory asked, eyebrow raised.

Harley growled her answer.

"But I thought that he was the King of One Night  
Stands?"

"He was…_is_. Maybe it was a spur of the moment kinda  
thing when he said he wanted me more than just a  
friend. I dunno. But I've been avoiding him for the  
past six days. There's no way I'm going to embarrass  
myself like that again."

"How did you embarrass yourself?" Mallory asked,  
thinking she had missed something vitally important.

"Because he proved that he didn't want me when I was  
more than willing."

"Oh," Mallory said as her eyes lit with understanding.

"Yeah. But he hasn't exactly been knocking down my  
door to talk to me, so I guess it's a lost cause."

"Are you going to give up that easily?" Starfire asked  
as Darcy weaved the crown atop her head.

"No. There's no way in hell he's getting away from me  
that easily. I just wanted sympathy." She laughed when  
Hannah chunked a pillow at her.

Hannah rolled her eyes. "Just talk to him. Maybe he's  
just scared about starting something so serious with  
you."

"Maybe," Harley sighed, stretching her arms above her  
head. "But it gets discouraging. He's only kissed me  
once. That's it. _Once_. A girl needs to lip-lock with a  
guy once in a while, and it's been…I dunno, too long."

"Ethan and I have only kissed twice and that's all it  
was. A kiss."

Mallory raised an eyebrow. "You mean no tongue or  
groping or anything like that?"

She shook her head slowly, her face heating with a  
blush.

"How do you survive?" Harley asked jokingly.

"I don't need a man to kiss me all the time," she  
snapped defensively, blue eyes narrowed.

Mallory laughed and ran a hand through her wet hair.  
"Come on, kid, we're just joking."

Hannah snorted, tucking her leg under the cast. "Sure.  
Whatever."

"Well, Mrs. Hallowell, how's the married life?" Harley  
joked, turning the heat off of Hannah.

"I'm not married yet."

Harley grinned. "But I'm sure you're living like it."

Mallory glared, though her cheeks were flushed. "Don't  
even think about going there, kid."

Harley blinked innocently. "Going where?"

Mallory watched her warily, one eye narrowed. "Don't  
play innocent."

"But I am innocent," she said with a grin, her  
eyebrows dancing.

Hannah snorted. "Yeah, sure."

Bumblebee chuckled, watching as Darcy finished  
spraying Starfire's hair with hairspray. "Lookin'  
good, Star."

She smiled, lifting her hand to touch the curls piled  
on her head, only to have her hand slapped by Darcy.

"Hold it. I'm not through yet."

"What else it there to be done?" Starfire asked as  
Darcy reached for a tube of glitter. Her nose wrinkled  
as the sent of hairspray clogged the air.

"I'm gonna put glitter in it. Just for show, of  
course." After sprinkling white glitter in the girl's  
red hair, Darcy shooed the titan from the chair.

"Don't mess with it. I'll have to spray it again  
before you change into your dress."

Starfire nodded, arching her back to get out the  
kinks. She hated sitting in one place for so long.

"All right, Mallory, is it? Your turn." As Mallory  
handed Christian to Starfire, Hannah sat up and  
scooted to the edge. "Guess I need to get this over  
with," she muttered as she worked her way into the  
wheel chair.

"At least the bathroom's big," Mallory offered as  
Darcy brushed her dark hair.

Hannah grunted and wheeled herself into the bathroom  
until she disappeared from sight. Harley watched her  
with a grin. "I can go get Ethan if you need help."  
Harley said with a smirk.

Hannah rolled the chair backwards to glare at her  
sideways. "No thank you."

"But I'm sure he would enjoy it immensely."

"You are deranged."

"Why thank you," she boasted, chuckling when Hannah  
slammed the door.

"You're not as innocent as you look," Bumblebee mused,  
blinking rapidly.

Harley grinned mischievously. "Looks can be  
deceiving."

Raven raised an eyebrow as she dragged her book from  
her trench coat pocket. She had come prepared, knowing  
that all this would take hours to do. So, she had  
grabbed one of Anne Rice's books before she left her  
apartment.

As she flipped open the book, Harley leaned over to  
peek at the words. "Anne Rice, huh?"

"Yep," Raven said dully as she scanned the text. She  
was used to reading and conversing at the same time so  
while her mind soaked in the words, her mouth was  
talking to others. It's what she liked to call  
multitasking.

"I'm more of a Nora Roberts fan," Harley said  
suddenly, chunking her strawberry-blonde hair behind  
her shoulder when it fell onto the pages.

"Hmm," Raven said as she continued to read.

When she realized she was not going to talk, Harley  
turned her attention to Bumblebee.

"So you're part of the Titans East, right?"

Bumblebee nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

Harley shrugged. "It's just kinda strange that I'm  
here with three of the most famous women in the  
state."

Raven glanced up from her book with a raised eyebrow. "Most famous?"

Harley smiled, kicking her legs over the side of the bed. "Yeah. You don't read many magazines, do you?"

"Nope." Raven admitted, amethyst eyes returning to the printed words.

"Well, you're usually the main topic in most of them.  
Didn't you know that they had a vote on who kicked the  
most butt, or who was most beautiful, or who outshone  
who?"

"Nope," Raven muttered again.

"Hmm. They had cool tidbits about you and these cool  
pictures. My older brother, who's in college now, has  
an entire collage of you three. I have to admit that  
there are some pretty cool pictures there. Like when  
they would catch you in a fighting stance or  
something."

"What do they do, follow us around and snap pictures?"  
Bumblebee mused out loud, stretching out her long legs  
before folding them under her.

"Obviously," Raven muttered, flipping the page.

"But I don't even live here."

"They do have magazines and cameras where you are, Bumblebee,"  
Raven said casually.

Bumblebee's eyes narrowed. "No duh."

Starfire sighed, plopping down stomach-first on the  
bed. "How does the Titans East fare?"

Bumblebee rolled her shoulders. "About as good as can  
be expected. Aqualad and Speedy are constantly  
bickering about everything and no one can understand  
what the hell Mas Y Menos are saying. I swear those  
twins are getting on my nerves. Thankfully, all the  
bickering and screaming doesn't effect how we fight.  
We've whooped a lot of butt thanks to Sparky and the  
way he helped us become a team."

"Amazing. How are the twins, by the way?" Starfire  
asked with a slight smile.

"Still drooling over you," Bumblebee joked. "They  
themselves have started a shrine dedicated to you."

Starfire chuckled, pushing a stray curl off her  
shoulder. Darcy cut her a glance and growled.

"I told you not to touch your hair."

Starfire flushed a brilliant pink as her hands settled  
against the comforter. "I am sorry."

Darcy sighed as she messed with Mallory's thick hair. "Just don't touch it again."

Starfire cleared her throat. "I am most hungry." She  
admitted after a long pause.

"Me too," Harley interjected. "Want me to go get some  
snacks?"

"What about your leg?" Bumblebee asked, her eyes darting to the door when Hannah rolled out, hair wet and steam drifting into the warm room.

"I'm starving," Hannah said as she used her good hand  
to towel-dry her hair.

Harley sighed and glared down at her cast. "I hate this  
bloody thing."

Bumblebee shook her head and stood up. "I'll go get us  
something. Anyway, it'll give me a chance to peek on  
the boys."

Harley's eyes lit up. "You better bring back info."

She sighed, straightening her bright yellow sweater  
and dusting off her black slacks. "I'll do what I  
can."

Bumblebee suddenly morphed into her tiny self,  
grinning at the look of mischief on Harley's adorable  
face as she realized what she was going to do.

"Smart," the girl muttered. "Very smart."

Bumblebee flew beneath the crack under the door and  
made her to the living room, where the guys were  
sitting.

"Dude, I can't believe you did that," she heard Cyborg  
say, his voice laced with concern.

"Me either. It was a moment of weakness and it won't  
happen again." Robin ran his hand through his  
jet-black hair, his eyes troubled.

"That's more than a moment of weakness," Ethan said,  
stretching out his long legs. "That's suicide."

That got Bumblebee's attention. Suicide? What the hell  
were they talking about?

"I wasn't thinking straight," Robin admitted. "I mean I  
thought I had lost her forever."

"Well it was your fault," Beast Boy said softly. It  
still amazed her that his skin was tan and his hair  
dark, but as she got closer to the teen, she noticed a  
tinge of green to his skin. So, it was dye. She should  
have figured.

Cyborg sighed, his eyes on Beast Boy before they  
dropping to the floor. But he did a double take when  
his eyes landed on her.

She cursed and flew to the kitchen. She could hear  
Cyborg get up and panicked. He hadn't seen her, had  
he? But her spine straightened. What did she care? It  
wasn't like she was doing anything wrong.

With a shrug, her body slid back into the five foot  
seven frame and she started to open cupboards in  
search of food.

The talk in the living room stilled as all eyes landed  
on her. She turned slightly with a grin. "Hope I'm not  
interrupting anything."

She turned her attention back to the food, a pile  
growing on the counter. She gathered drinks from the  
fridge before shutting the door with her foot.

"Sparky, the least you can do is help me carry this to  
Starfire's room," she said, peeking over the large  
bundle in her hands.

She saw his metal feet and smiled, shoving the food  
and drinks into his hand. "Follow me."

She walked out of the kitchen and into the living  
room, eyeing each male she saw. She recognized Beast  
Boy and Robin, but the other four where unfamiliar.  
She guessed one was Ethan, the other Wyatt, and Colt,  
but the older man was a mystery to her. Was he the  
fashion designer?

"Come on, Bee, I can't see where I'm going," Cyborg  
muttered as he peeked over the food. "Jeez, what's  
with all the food? They won't be able to fit in their  
dresses if the eat this much."

She narrowed her eyes. "Of course they will. Now  
follow me." She heard him sigh as he trudged behind  
her. Gently pushing open the door, Bumblebee walked  
in, informing her fiancé where to go.

"Need help?" Raven asked as her eyes lifted from her  
book. Her eyebrows rose slightly at the amount of food  
before they dropped and she returned to her book.

"Oh, no," he muttered sarcastically, "I'm fine."

"That's a good boy," Bumblebee purred, snatching a  
coke from his arms. "Now dump it on the bed and leave  
us."

He muttered something incoherently and made his way to  
the bed, dumping the contents on the bed. And like a  
pack of starving wolves, the girls pounced on the  
food.

Eyes comically wide, Cyborg scrambled out of the room  
and slammed the door. He let out a huff of breath as  
he walked back into the living room.

"And I thought I was a pig," he muttered under his  
breath, plopping down beside Robin on the couch.

Robin's eyebrow quirked upwards. "Problem?"

"Did you see all that food? It was more than I could  
eat in three days! And they were like starving  
demons!"

Beast Boy shook his head. "Aren't you going a bit  
overboard?"

"Uh, dude, you didn't see the evil looks and the fangs  
and drooling and the pouncing like rabid dogs." He  
shuddered. "I will be haunted for the rest of my days."

The men in the room rolled their eyes. "So I guess Hannah leaped out of her wheel chair  
and the unenthusiastic Raven did so as well?" Beast  
Boy asked sarcastically as he chuckled.

"Shove it, Grass Stain."

Beast Boy blinked. "Huh?"

Cyborg grinned and pointed to the very slight green  
tint to Beast Boy's dyed skin. "Take a good look, bud.  
You're gonna be green before you know it."

Beast Boy lifted his arm and held it at eyesight,  
green eyes scanning the skin. Cy was right. He could  
see a tinge of green. Excitement rose. Perfect! He was  
going to be him again! He would kick Cyborg's butt for  
calling him grass stain, of course, but this was  
perfect. He had never liked the tan dye or even the  
hair color. But that was a problem. He would look like  
a freak once his skin returned to normal and his hair was  
still dark. Maybe Darcy could find a solution and dye  
his hair back to the normal shade.

"Are you actually happy about being green again?" Ethan asked in curiosity.

"Duh," Beast Boy said as if the boy were stupid. "I  
don't feel right not being green. I've been green for  
over half of my life, and when she dyed my skin, I  
didn't feel right."

Wyatt blinked slowly. "Is all of you dyed?"

Beast Boy flushed. "How about we not go there, kay?"

Wyatt shrugged, though his gray eyes were curious.

"Anyway," Beast Boy muttered hoping to turn the  
conversation away from that topic, "How's the arm?"

Ethan glanced down at the cast, figuring that Beast  
Boy was referring to him, and said, "Fine, I guess."

"I can't believe you almost caught him," Robin mused,  
his arm resting against the back of the couch.

"I would have gotten him too if it weren't for the  
fact that one, I had a broken wrist, and two, that bastard shot me. Thank God he didn't turn and look around, else I'd probably be dead and Hannah…" he  
trailed off as unpleasant images twisted through his  
mind. "I don't even want to go there."

"It's understandable," Wyatt said, stretching out his  
long legs. "I wouldn't want to think along those lines  
if circumstances where switched and it was Mallory he  
was after."

"I'm just glad Bee's not a target." Cyborg mused, but  
instantly added, "But it's not a good thing that the  
others are targets," when he earned five deadly sneers  
from the other men. He let out a huff of breath when  
they cooled somewhat. Cyborg watched as Marty arranged  
each tuxedo to his pleasure, occasionally dusting off  
a pant leg or jacket or smoothing out the ties. He  
seemed strangely content as he ran his fingers over  
the cloth.

"I just can't get over the fact that that bastard  
knows who they are," Beast Boy grunted as he sprawled  
out on the floor. "And this stupid dancy-thingy isn't  
gonna help anything anyways."

"Dancy-thingy?" Wyatt asked while Ethan smirked. "Wow.  
Never heard that one before."

Beast Boy glared. "Shut up."

Cyborg sighed. "I wish Starfire had a Gamestation or  
Xbox or something."

"I got one in my apartment," Robin said, standing up  
and stretching his long frame. "Want me to go get it?"

"Hell yeah," Beast Boy said, hopping up. "At least we  
can pass the time, seeing as we still have five hours  
until the dance."

Marty turned to them, hands shoved into his jean  
pockets. "Is your water still on?"

Robin paused on his way to the door. "Huh?"

Marty shook his head with a slight smile. "Your water.  
So you can take a shower and get it over with."

Realization dawned. "Oh. Oh yeah. Er, I think."

"Okay, well I think it would be best if you went ahead  
and took showers. I don't think you can use the one in  
that room, and those girls won't be coming out until  
it's time to leave."

"He's right," Beast Boy muttered, plopping down on the  
floor again.

"Yeah, but I don't have soap or anything like that over there.  
Everything along those lines is in Starfire's  
bathroom."

"And, uh, I have a phobia about using someone else's  
soap. Hell, the only reason I let Mallory use mine is  
because…" Wyatt trailed off as his face flushed.

Marty grinned and rolled his eyes. "Tell you what.  
Since I have nothing to do and the girls are safe in  
that room, why don't we go to each of your places and  
get what ya'll need? It won't take but an hour or so,  
and I don't think the White Rose Killer will attempt  
kidnapping when there are so many of them. He would  
get his ass kicked, I'm sure."

But they were still hesitant. "I don't know," Robin  
said slowly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Tell you what," Cyborg said, "I'll stay here and play  
the Gamestation while ya'll go. I'll just whoop your  
butts when you get back."

"Are you sure, Cy?" Beast Boy asked as he grabbed his  
car keys. "I mean you'd-"

"Don't worry 'bout it. I'd rather be safe than sorry."  
Cyborg caught the keys Robin's tossed at him.

"Go ahead and plug in the game. We won't be long.  
We'll split up three for three. Wyatt and Ethan, your  
with me. Beast Boy will take Marty and Colt. Sound  
fair?" Robin asked as he snatched up his car keys.

"Fine with me," they agreed, and before long, Cyborg  
was left alone in the plush living room. He sighed,  
but perked up as the thought of the Gamestation  
swirled in his head. He scampered to Robin's  
apartment, quickly grabbed the games and Gamestation  
before he skipped back to the apartment, his treasures  
cradled in his hands.

* * *

Beast Boy yanked on his tie, only to end up choking  
himself. Marty hurried over to loosen the damn thing  
while Beast Boy fought for breath. If there was one  
thing he hated above all things, it was ties and  
tuxedos. God how he detested them.

Next to him, Robin leaned against the window; hands  
tucked in pockets as he watched the snow drearily coat  
the ground. He had been like this since Jonathan,  
Starfire's date, had shown up.

As Marty yanked on the simple green silk tie (that, of  
course, was not a clip-on), Beast Boy studied the  
redhead, green eyes taking in every flaw.

How the hell could Starfire go for this dweeb? He was  
fluttering around the apartment like he had ants in  
his maroon trousers. And another thing. Who the hell  
wore a maroon tuxedo? Obviously, this guy did, and he  
didn't even pull it off. His hair clashed with the  
fabric, and the jacket hung loosely against his frame.  
And if the damn man didn't stop grinning, Beast Boy  
swore he was going to sucker-punch the annoying  
jackass.

Wyatt sneered at the man when he tripped over his  
shoes and almost sprawled out across the dark teens  
lap.

"Watch it, buddy," Wyatt snapped.

Jonathan's blue eyes widened as he shoved his glasses  
up his nose. "S-sorry. I d-didn't mean t-to."

Wyatt rolled his eyes as the lanky man started to pace.

"You're not going to have any energy left if you keep  
that up," Ethan muttered dryly.

"Huh?"

Ethan blinked as he slowly shook his head. "Forget  
it." He shoved his good hand into his black pant  
pockets, watching the overly zealous man stare at the  
door that the girls were in. Normally, he was not a  
violent man, but this idiot was starting to rub him  
raw with all the damn pacing and sighing and longing  
looks he shot at the door.

"O-oh. Okay." Jonathan lifted his hand to slowly bite  
his nails, earning a disgusted look from Colt when he  
spit out a portion of the nail.

"If you're going to spit like that, do it outside.  
This is a ladies apartment, you know, and I don't  
think she'd appreciate nail clippings on her floor."  
Yeah, he knew they were being cruel to the poor guy,  
but there was something about him that didn't settle  
well. That, and the fact that the guy had shown up two  
hours before he needed to be.

Suddenly, the door opened and Bumblebee walked out,  
laughing as Harley's hollow curses filled the air.

"Damn, kid, you have the mouth of a sailor."

"Then why don't you try and walked on crutches without  
tripping over the damn hem of your bloody skirt?" She called out, and her complaint was followed by crash and another curse.

Bumblebee shook her head as she walked into the living  
room. Though the door was still opened, no one walked  
out.

"Well? Where are they?" Beast Boy asked, eyeing Robin  
as he still gazed outside. Though his facial features  
remained impassive, Beast Boy knew what the guy was  
going though.

"Hold your horses, Be-babe," Bumblebee flinched at her  
horrible save and heard a growl from the closet, where  
they had shoved Cyborg into when Jonathan arrived.

Beast Boy raised an eyebrow, a handsome smirk  
appearing on his face. "Well, now-"

Raven walked out of the room, skirt billowing behind  
her. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

Raven had the urge to smirk when Beast Boy's eyes  
widened, then clouded as he took in her appearance.  
His gaze raked her from boot-clad feet, to the curls  
arranged on top of her head. The look was similar to  
Starfire's, but instead of a simple crown, Raven's  
hair was weaved with fake red roses. She didn't like  
the whole rose factor at first, but they added to the  
dark apparel she had been hoping for.

"Dark much?" Robin muttered, a small smile gracing his  
face as he took in her appearance.

"I'd like to think so," she muttered, long blood-red  
fingernails tipped with black fingering the thin black  
choker around her neck.

"I'd say you pulled it off." Ethan murmured. The  
gothic titian's apparel reminded him of something he  
would see in one of those vampire movies set back in  
the seventeenth century, where the woman wore corsets  
and had daggers strapped to their thighs. But the  
makeup she wore was far from dark. Her lips were  
coated with a rose-tinted gloss and her eyes were  
uniquely outlined in black eyeliner. Her eye shadow  
was dark, yes, but it only brought out her amethyst  
eyes.

Raven sighed and folded her arms over her chest. She  
hated being stared at, even if it was Beast Boy doing  
most of it. But then he snapped out of his thoughts  
and smiled slightly at her, his fangs noticeable. What  
was it about those fangs that made her stomach  
flutter?

Beast Boy walked to her and she couldn't help the  
blush when he leaned down to lightly brush his lips  
against hers in front of an entire roomful of men. She  
might be emotionally detached, but she was still  
human.

"You look gorgeous, Raven." She swallowed, pulling  
away from him and taking notice of Jonathan. His gaze  
lingered on her partially exposed cleavage before he  
blushed and turned away. Robin caught the look and his  
eyes narrowed.

"It's not nice to stare at a woman's chest, you know,"  
Robin said softly, eyebrow cocked and a smirk gracing  
his lips.

Jonathan flushed scarlet. "I-I, er, um, Rose! Thank  
God!" The horribly dressed man scampered over to  
Starfire when she walked out. She blinked at him  
before smiling.

"Hello, Jonathan. I hope you've not been waiting too  
long." The boy gulped when he got good look at her.

Her gown was simple, a white strapless dress with  
faint beadwork along the bodice, waist, and hem, and  
it hugged her torso magnificently. The skirt was full,  
flowing around her lithe body in a way that had his  
heart thudding in his chest. Red curls brushed against  
her bare shoulders and caressed the soft fabric  
enticingly. Her flaming hair was pilled atop her head,  
a crown enweaved with the soft curls. She wore light  
jewelry, only a pair of small diamond earrings. Her  
throat was bare and Jonathan bit down the urge to lean  
forward and find out what her skin would taste like.

Starfire bit her bottom lip when she realized that Robin was  
still gazing out the window. He had never once looked  
her way. But what did she expect? For him to turn and  
proclaim his love for her? As Beast Boy would say 'and  
pigs with fly over my head'.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and turned a  
dazzling smile to Jonathan. "I appreciate you coming  
with me."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Robin's  
shoulders stiffen, but they gradually relaxed. Her  
eyebrows drew together as she studied him. Why did the  
man have to be so damn difficult?

She let out a huff of breath and decided that no  
matter what, Robin would _not_ ignore her. She was going  
to make sure he good a damn good look at her and  
regretted that he ever pushed her away.

In a fit of anger, Starfire walked over to the Boy  
Wonder, mouth set in a determined smirk. He was going  
to rue the say he rejected her.

"Robin, is everything okay?" She asked softly as she  
stepped into his line of view, the hem of her skirt  
brushing against his trousers though she stood a good  
foot away from him.

Slowly, his eyes traveled to her. She was slightly  
disappointed when his eyes stayed on her face, but  
perked up when he smiled at her.

"You look good, Starfire."

Though she was still simmering with rage, she smiled  
at him. "You do not look so bad yourself."

In truth, Starfire had never found him so handsome.  
His hair was tied back from his face, yet a few  
strands refused to stay put and the black tux outlined  
his lean, muscled frame.

But he turned his eyes back to the window, mouth set  
in a frown. Deflated, she sighed and started to walk  
away from him when his warm hand wrapped gently around  
her arm. She glanced down, finding his slightly paler  
skin against her tan skin interesting.

"I know I've been a jerk to you."

She lifted her narrowed green eyes to him, one eyebrow  
raised in skepticism. "Yes, you have."

"And I don't expect you to forgive me."

"Good," she said slowly, wariness creeping into her  
voice.

"But, well, there's no way I can make it up to you,  
but I thought that this might take the sting out of my  
behavior."

She tilted her head slightly as he reached into his  
jacket and fished something out.

"Might this be some lame attempt for me to forgive  
you?"

His fingers paused as he grinned. "No."

She still regarded him skeptically. Robin glanced up  
as he pulled his gift from his pocket, noticing the  
way Jonathan was seething with rage. Good. Let the  
bastard be jealous.

With the tips of his middle and index finger, Robin  
held out the simple sliver necklace that had been his  
mothers.

He watched her eyes widen in astonishment as the  
simple locket dangled before her.

He smiled slightly. "It was my mothers," he started  
softly as he laid his hand on her bare shoulder to  
turn her around so he could fasten the necklace around  
her neck. "She was wearing it when-" he took a deep  
breath, but continued, "But Bruce somehow got it and  
gave it to me. He said it fell when...damn this is  
hard…but I've kept it all these years. Truthfully, I  
just found it. But I want you to have it. Don't think  
of it as a pity gift. I just…want you to have it. It  
needs to be worn by someone and I can't do it knowing  
that my mother died with this on. But it's fine if you  
don't want it-"

She turned her head slightly, laying her palm against  
her throat where the pendant lay. "Thank you, Robin."

He nodded slightly, blinking when her eyes brightened  
with unshed tears. But she quickly blinked them back  
and her lips curled. "But I am still angry at you."

He rolled his eyes, feeling slightly better now that  
his mother's necklace was around her neck. Out of the  
corner of his eye, he watched her scamper back to  
Jonathan. But her hand was still pressed against the  
locket.

"Damn it, I swear, she takes forever," Colt muttered  
as he stood next to Robin, his eyes trained on the  
door to Starfire's room.

"Guessing you're talking about Harley?" Robin mused,  
watching below as the people bustled to get out of the  
snow. The sky was starting to darken as nightfall  
approached, but the world around him was nothing but  
pure white. It was a striking combination, the dark  
against bright.

"Whom else would I be talking about?" Colt muttered,  
his eyes still on the door.

"All these damn couples are starting to confuse me."

Colt chuckled, but it died when he heard Harley's  
voice. "Damn dress." She swung out of the room on her crutches,  
blue-green eyes blazing as they landed on poor Marty.

"Why the hell did you pick a dress that was so damn  
long and so damn tight around my legs?" She snarled as  
she tried to make her way to the wide-eyes man.

"I can barley walk thanks to it. And you gave me  
bloody heels, no less!" She kept grumbling as she  
worked her way to the couch and plopped down on it,  
dragging her loose hair over her shoulder and tugging  
at the ends. Raking her from head to toe, Colt took in  
the long, cocktail-style dress that hugged her slim  
curves perfectly, but his eyes were on her hair. The  
only time he had even seen it down was when he jerked  
the band from her hair when she wasn't expecting it  
and even then it had been a glimpse. But that was due  
to the fact that she slammed her fist into his  
midsection, and while he was getting over the pain,  
she had hastily put it back up. Now, her hair was pin  
straight and falling slightly past her elbows.

She glanced up at him, but her eyes narrowed and she  
quickly looked away, sliding the spaghetti-strap back  
into place when it slipped off her shoulder. He sighed  
and walked to her, plopping down beside her. She  
scowled, tilting her face away from him and he sigh  
dejectedly.

Harley studied him out of the corner of her eye.  
"What's your problem?" She muttered.

"Nothing."

"Liar," she mumbled, crossing her good leg across the  
other. Well, at least she tried, but the binding dress  
barley allowed her any movement. She cursed again,  
wishing she could just rip the stupid thing from hem  
to knee or something.

Without her consent, he tugged a lock of hair from  
her hands and fingered the silky strand. She glared,  
but didn't push his hand away. He took that as a good  
sign.

"But inna go wit you!" Christian wailed, clutching  
onto his mother's leg, preventing her from moving.  
Mallory chuckled softly.

"You can't come with me, Chris. You're going to stay  
here with Bee." She knew not to call the titan by her  
real name, so she settled with the nickname.

"But-but," he whimpered, but he was pried lose by  
Wyatt, who carefully tossed him onto his shoulder.

"You'll have fun here. Anyway, it's going to be  
utterly boring. Not a place for grown men like you."

Christian opened his mouth, but shut it quickly when  
he got the complement. "A'right. Fine." Wyatt rolled  
his eyes and bent at the waist to let the child down.  
When Christian went off to pout to Starfire, Wyatt let  
his eyes wonder over his fiancé, from the simple pastel  
pink ballet shoes, to the layered dark and pale pink  
skirt, up to the glittered bodice, where for a slight  
moment he let his eyes rest. She cleared her throat  
and he grinned, his eyes taking in the silk ribbon  
tied behind her neck, which held the dress up, the  
diamond necklace, then to her frowning mouth, which his  
had to kiss lightly, and finally to her hair, which  
was twist elegantly behind her head.

"Like what you see?" She asked quietly, brown eyes  
scanning the room.

"Would I have asked you to marry me if I didn't?"

Her eyes narrowed playfully before she swung past him  
to sit next to Harley. He grinned as he sauntered off  
to stand behind the couch; his hands slowly massage  
her shoulders.

Christian tugged at one of Starfire's loose curls so  
he could be let down, and when his tiny batman  
house-shoes touched the carpet, he bounded to his  
mother and crawled into her lap. Knowing she was about  
to leave him, he buried his head against her chest and  
listened to the calming sound of her heartbeat and  
breathed in her scent. He might be a man, but being  
away from his mother could only last so long.

"Well, that only leaves one," Ethan muttered to  
himself.

Darcy popped out of the room, eyes downcast as she  
walked towards to door. Once there, she carefully  
leaned against the wall, watching everything from  
afar.

Bumblebee wheeled Hannah out of the room and placed  
her by Ethan. Her baby blue dress was arranged around  
her so it helped take some of the attention from the  
blue sling the held her arm and the thick, full skirt  
covered the cast on her leg. A diamond-encrusted clip,  
leaving two curls to frame her face, pulled half of  
her hair back. Simple blue teardrop earring adorned  
her ears yet her throat was bare.

She blushed, worrying her lower lip. "I hate having to  
go in this thing. It's bad enough that I have to go at  
all, but a wheelchair will drag unwanted attention."

She jumped when Ethan brushed the back of his hand  
across her cheek. When her eyes snapped to his, he  
winked. "Don't worry about it. All the attention will  
be one me because I'm so lucky to be standing next to  
you."

Her nose wrinkled at his corny line. "That was  
horrible."

He chuckled and stood behind her chair. "So, we ready  
to get this over with?"

"Oh, wait!" Marty suddenly called when they all  
started to gather purses, keys, and hidden weapons.

"What?" Wyatt asked, his large hand resting on  
Mallory's waist.

"The mayor ordered a limo, I think. Or Twain did, I  
dunno, but I think it's waiting in the garage. So, uh,  
yeah, that limousine is out there for ya'll when you  
get down there. I think…" He shrugged as he helped  
gather Darcy's things.

"Have fun," she said solemnly as she let Marty led her  
out of the apartment. With a shrug, each teen grabbed  
what they needed and headed out the door, leaving  
Christian, Bumblebee, and...Cyborg! Damn, she had  
forgotten about the poor boy.

Quickly locking the door, Bumblebee ran to the closet  
door and opened it, chuckling when she found a large  
metal man sitting in a corner, framed by clothes that  
hung above him.

"Oh baby, I'm sorry." She crouched down so she was eye  
level with him and tried to hold back a grin when he  
glared at her.

She fought to get him out of there and when she  
finally did, he stretched, gray eye narrowed.

"That is the last damn time I let some panicky  
teenaged boys shove me into a closet. I was in there  
for three hours!" He whined, rubbing his hands  
delicately along his face. "I thought I was going to  
die in there!"

Bumblebee shook her head. "Sure, Sparky. Now, why  
don't you suck it up and lets see what the kid wants  
to play-"

"Horsy! Horsy! Horsy! Horsy! Inna play horsy." As  
Cyborg groaned, Bumblebee chuckled.

"You heard the kid. Time to get on all fours and play  
horsy."

* * *

This was pure and utter hell. Starfire felt her anger  
boiling every time that damn woman talked. Sitting  
across from her was none other than the blonde bimbo,  
clad in a green see-through cocktail dress that rose  
high on her thighs. Every time she crossed her legs  
(which was often) she was flashing the entire limo.  
Starfire thought she was going to reach over and snap  
the girl's legs closed if she didn't stop it.

"Oh, Grayson," she purred, leaning across him  
seductively, "I'm so glad you asked me to the dance."

Robin continued to stare out the window, ignoring  
Rebecca completely. Her eyes narrowed beneath heavy  
green eye shadow as she tried to entice the boy with a  
good view of cleavage. His eyes didn't even flicker  
down.

Starfire watched in morbid amusement as the girl  
gritted her teeth at the lack of attention she was  
receiving. Rebecca leaned back against the plush seat,  
catching sight of the smug look she was receiving from  
the beautiful redhead.

"Find something interesting?" She snapped, eyes  
narrowed.

"No," Starfire said innocently, soft pink lips curved.  
"Nothing at all."

Rebecca bristled at the hidden insult, but decided  
that she would find another way to piss the princess  
off. And Grayson seemed to be the redhead's main  
interest.

Slowly, Rebecca maneuvered her hand so it rested  
against his knee, her lime green nails slowly tapping  
against the bone. Still, no response from the handsome  
teenager.

Keeping her eyes locked with Star's, she slid her hand  
up so it rested on his thigh. Starfire's eyes  
narrowed, but Rebecca just smirked, her hand moving  
dangerously high on his thigh. Beneath her hand, his  
skin was hot and hard with muscle.

Starfire's eye became nothing more than slits. Yeah,  
okay, so she was still angry with Robin, but no one,  
and she meant _no one_, messed with Robin like this. But  
damnit all, she couldn't do anything.

But as Rebecca's hand came close to her destination, a  
large, tan hand was laid on top of hers. She smirked,  
thinking she had won, but her eyes widened when  
Grayson slid her hand back in her lap, throwing her a  
look that screamed 'don't ever do that again'.

Beast Boy coughed as he tried to smother his laugh,  
but he wasn't having much luck. Neither were the rest  
of the male teens in the limo. The girls just stared  
at Robin's date with scorn.

Though humiliation, Rebecca was not going to give up.  
Shoving a hand through her short curls, she tried to  
think of a way to get his attention. But she was at a  
loss. Usually the hand on crotch thing always worked,  
but this time all it had done was humiliate her in front of a limo filled with kids around her age.

The redhead cleared her throat as she said softly, "Grayson?"

Immediately, those gorgeous eyes of his turned to Miss  
High and Mighty. She smiled slightly, fingering the  
silver locket around her slim throat. Rebecca would  
have given anything to wrap her hand around it and  
squeeze the life from her.

"Is something troubling you?"

"No." Though his answer was curt, his lips curved in  
her direction before his gaze turned back to the  
window.

Rebecca had the strangest urge to rip out her hair.  
Lord have mercy, what was wrong with the man? Here she  
was, willing to succumb to his every desire, and yet  
he was ignoring her and drooling over some Miss High  
and Mighty who was probably still as innocent as the  
day she was born! _Calm yourself, girl,_ she told  
herself as she clenched and unclenched her fist. _He  
probably is just embarrassed to have a woman grope him  
in public. Just keep in mind that he was the one who  
asked you to this godforsaken dance. He's the one who  
called and wanted to have sex with me and he was the  
one--wait--he never did come back, did he? He had slept  
with me once but hadn't touched me after that. What  
the hell am I thinking? Of course he wants me! How  
could he not? I mean I know how to please a man and  
that's all that matters. Guess I'll just have to show  
him once we are finally alone…_

Starfire glared at the girl as a devilish smirk worked  
its way onto her painted mouth. Beside her, Jonathan patted  
her hand, slyly linking his fingers with hers. She  
squeezed his fingers in anger, but the poor guy though  
it meant something else, for her lifted her hand and  
brushed his lips against her knuckles.

She jumped, not expecting something like that, and was  
vaguely aware of Robin's eyes on hers. Gently, she  
pulled her hand from his grasp and laid them in her  
lap, tilting her head so Jonathan couldn't see the  
pleading look she sent towards Raven and Hannah, who  
were closest to her. Hannah bit back a grin, but Raven  
shook her head in suppressed amusement.

"So," Rebecca purred, leaning towards Starfire. "How  
long have you been dating?"

Starfire blinked, her head straitening. "Who?"

"You and the dude you're sitting beside."

"We're not dating," she answered without thinking,  
then blinked and risked a look at Jonathan's face. His  
jaw was clenched and his eyes were studding her face.  
She blushed, desperately wishing that she could murder  
the woman across from her.

"We are friends," she said, worrying her lower lip and  
staring at her lap. Slowly, her eyes lifted to Robin.  
She had no idea why she looked at him, but she did,  
and was surprised to see his eyes soften somewhat.

"Hmm. Interesting." Rebecca mused as she leaned back  
against the seat, her dark eyes studding Jonathan.

"Obviously he didn't know that." Jonathan's eyes  
snapped to Rebecca as a blush crept along his cheeks.

"I-"

"You poor thing. How long has she been leading you  
on?"

"She-"

"Leave him alone," Starfire snapped, gently laying her  
hand on Jonathan's. His blue eyes lifted to hers and  
she smiled softly before her scowl returned and was  
aimed at Rebecca.

"Our relationship is none of your concern."  
She was aware that Robin's shoulders stiffen when she  
said 'our relationship'.

"I'd spend more of my time trying to keep your man  
from losing interest," Harley said quietly, but  
Rebecca heard her.

"Mind your own business, Brace Face."

"Oh how original," Harley drawled out, sea-green eyes  
narrowed dangerously.

"Even I could have done better than that," Beast Boy  
muttered, rubbing the side of his jaw with his  
fingers.

Rebecca's eyes narrowed as the settled on him, but her  
eyes wondered. Beast Boy did a double take when her  
eyes slid down his stomach, inching lower and lower  
and… He blushed, quickly crossing his legs. "Hey!  
Look at your own date!"

Raven quickly followed the direction of Rebecca's gaze  
and though her cheek heated with a blush when she  
figured out when had Rebecca's attention, her eyes  
narrowed dangerously.

"I suggest you keep your eyes to yourself," she said,  
her voice threatening. Rebecca sneered, then snuggled  
against Robin's side, weaving her arm through his as  
she laid her head on his shoulder.

Beast Boy eyed the blonde bimbo warily, who was  
staring back at him intently. But his attention turned  
to Raven as a grin worked its way across his face.

"I'd say you've become a bit protective. You must  
really love me to want to keep me all to yourself."

Raven gave him a death glare, but after a while, it  
finally sunk in and his heart skipped a beat: she  
hadn't denied it.

* * *

The minute Starfire walked into the crowded gymnasium,  
she was assaulted with blue, green, and purple lights  
and blaring music. The theme was winter, so scattered  
on the floor was fake snow, and above her head hung  
paper snowflakes. The round table strewn around the  
room were covered with light blue tablecloths and  
round blue candles flicked against the probe lights. 

She felt a large hand settle on her lower back,  
steering her forward, and she glanced beside her to  
see Jonathan. His eyes were scanning the crowd as they  
moved toward a table in the back and when she pressed  
her heels into the floor to stop moving, he jerked  
forward.

"I shall be right back." She said quietly as she  
turned on her heel and walked towards Raven. If she  
could manage it, she was going to avoid Jonathan at  
all costs.

"Wait," he said, his hand wrapping around her arm. She  
glanced down, then stared back at him, eyebrow raised.

He blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Do you  
wanna dance?"

Starfire bit her lip, glancing around her. No, she  
didn't, but the problem was, she had to find a good  
lie.

"I do not know how to dance."

"Well I can teach you."

Starfire blinked as her eyes scanned his face. Was he  
not going to relent?

"Alright, but first I need to speak with a friend."  
She spun on her heel and at a hurried pace, walked to  
Raven and Beast Boy. She could hear their conversation  
already.

"Come on, Raven."

"No. I don't dance."

Beast Boy groaned. "So we're just gonna sit here and  
watch everyone else?"

"You can do what you please, but I refuse to dance."

Starfire watched as Beast Boy plopped down in an empty  
seat, shaking his head. "This is going to be a long  
night."

Raven glared, taking the seat opposite of him. "You  
know good and well you can go out and dance with  
someone else."

He scowled at her. "You're horrible in a relationship,  
you know that?"

She raised an eyebrow. "How am I horrible at a  
relationship?"

He shook his head, leaning back against the chair as  
he watched couples dance with longing. "Don't worry about it," he  
answered softly.

Her eyes narrowed but before she could say anything,  
Starfire chose the time to interrupt.

"Raven, might I join you?"

Her eyes snapped up to Starfire's. "Uh, sure, I  
guess."

Starfire smiled softly as she sat beside Beast Boy. He  
glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey, Star."

She smiled at him as she arranged her skirt around her  
legs. "Hello."

Beast Boy's eyes scanned the room as he asked, "Will  
you dance with me since Miss-I'm-Gonna-Be-A-Spoiled-Sport-And-Ruin-Beast-Boy's-Night won't?"

Starfire laughed at the glare Raven leveled on Beast  
Boy. "If it is fine with Raven."

"She could care less what I do," he muttered sourly as  
he stood up and took Starfire's hand. "I could  
probably make-out with another girl and she'd be fine  
with it."

Beast Boy gently pulled on her hand, leading her to  
the throng of dancers. Beast Boy weaved his way close  
to the middle of the room. To Starfire's pleasure, a  
slow song drifted from the speakers.

Beast Boy turned around and pulled Starfire closer to  
him, giving them both a friendly amount of space. She  
pressed her palms to his shoulders as his hands rested  
comfortably on her waist. She lifted her eyes to his  
with a grin.

"I am sure Raven is just unsure of how to act now that  
you are a couple."

Beast Boy rolled his eyes. "That's not it. Raven will  
never change no matter what I try. She might have  
agreed to try a relationship with me, but knowing her,  
she'll try everything in her power to ruin it."

"Why do you say that?" Starfire asked incredulously,  
her eyes travailing to Raven's table. The poor thing  
looked like she was ready to murder anyone who came  
within twenty feet of her.

"Because that's just Raven's style. But she's going to  
have to work damn hard, because I've waited for this  
for far too long and I'll be damned if she pushes me  
away so easily."

Starfire smiled. "You love her, don't you?" For the  
first time since they started to dance, Beast Boy  
glanced down at her. He blushed.

"Why do you ask that?"

"It is just obvious."

His eyes narrowed. "It is not."

Starfire laughed gleefully. "Yes, it is. Even I can  
tell that you are in love with her."

"You're just trying to get a rise out of me." He said skeptically.

She chuckled. "No, I am not."

He blinked, his eyes wondering to Raven's table. "Is  
it really that obvious?"

Starfire shook her head and smiled. "Depends on who you ask."

He snorted at that. "Then it's not obvious, because  
Raven doesn't know."

"Doesn't know what?" Came her calm voice.

Beast Boy jumped guiltily as if he had been caught  
trying to steal a cookie from the cookie jar. He  
turned to his left where Raven stood patiently, arms  
folded across her chest.

"I, uh, it's, uh, nothing. Nothing at all."

She raised an eyebrow, but seemed to let it go.  
Suddenly, almost hesitantly, she asked, "May I cut  
in?"

Beast Boy grinned as Starfire backed away. "Of  
course," Starfire said, watching for a second as Beast  
Boy pulled Raven into his arms, much, much closer than  
she had been when he danced with her.

But as she turned away, she bumped into a hard chest. Large hands settled around her upper arms, and as she glanced up, she groaned. Jonathan glanced down at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey, Rose."

She blinked. "Hello."

"So, you willing to dance with me now?" he asked softly, his hands tightening ever-so slightly.

"I…of course." As he led her away from Beast Boy and Raven, she sent them a small shrug at their concerned looks. They came to a halt suddenly, and the movement sent Starfire running into Jonathan's back. He turned quickly and gently pulled her against him, leaving no space between them. Uncomfortable at the close proximity, Starfire glanced down at studied her bodice.

After a short time of swaying back and forth, Jonathan said quietly, "Rose?"

"Yes?" Maybe she could send a mental plea to Beast Boy or Robin and they could come and—

"May I kiss you?"--rescue her…Now how the hell was she supposed to say no without hurting or embarrassing him?

But before she could make any sort of answer, his mouth slanted over hers. Eyes wide, Starfire tried to pull away, but he slid his hand to the back of her neck and held her head in place.

She made a sound of distress in the back of her throat, but Jonathan mistook it for a sound of pleasure, for he deepened this kiss, and forced her mouth open with his tongue. This time, Starfire did pull away.

"Jonathan," she pleaded, but his mouth had already wondered down to her throat, were he nipped at he skin. Starfire jerked away from him, mumbled an apology, and scurried to Beast Boy and Raven's unoccupied table.

Plopping down in a chair, Starfire stared straight ahead, rubbing the back of her mouth with her hand. God, that had been so unpleasant. It was nothing like the kisses Robin had given her. When Robin kissed her, her palms started to sweat and her heart increased its speed, and fire burned through her veins. But with Jonathan…it had been…horrible. There had been so spark, no sweating palms, and the only reason her heart beat increased was because she was trying not to gag. Starfire shuddered.

This dating this was not going to work out. She didn't know why she had led herself to believe that being with a member of the opposite sex would help her get over Robin. All it had accomplished was burying her deep in her pain and forcing her to endure Jonathan's annoying presences. She had been more depressed when she dated then before.

She didn't need a man to get over Robin. Hell, she didn't even need to get over Robin. She had been so much happier when all her romantic moments with Robin where in her dreams. She had been so content with the way things were before Twain had even shown up, before she became closer to Robin and ended up with her heart in tatters. And even then, all she had done was fantasize. It hadn't taken away from her fighting, or everyday life. It had just been a dream world within her own room.

But now…now things were horrible. Not only had she found that Robin did not care for her, but she was dealing with a guy she had no feelings for. It was a lose-lose situation. Maybe she could return to how things had been before Twain ever made an appearance. Maybe she could be happy again with just hopeful dreams to guide her. Maybe--

"Need this?" She glanced up at Robin's deep voice, snapping out of her thoughts, and  
took the cup of red punch he offered her.

As she sipped, he sat down across from her, eyes  
running over her face. She blushed at his intense  
stare and swallowed. Thankfully, her mouth was rid of  
that man's taste.

"He seems a bit too friendly to me," Robin said  
softly.

"Yes. He is." She agreed, watching Raven and Beast Boy  
dance. She seemed to be loosing up a bit, for Beast  
Boy laughed at something she said and she smirked.

"They look happy," she observed, telling herself more  
than Robin.

"I guess."

Starfire cleared her throat and sat the cup down, her  
free hand absently rubbing the spot on her throat that  
Jonathan's lips had touched. It was as if she were  
trying to rub it away.

"That bad, huh?" He asked.

"Yes," she mumbled without thinking and sighed. "I  
guess I led him on. I did not mean to."

"I don't think you did. He just seems like the type  
who doesn't give a flip about what people think or  
want and does his own thing."

"Grayson! There you are. You left me back there!"  
Starfire watched as Rebecca settled down on Robin's  
lap and leaned down to kiss him lightly. Robin turned  
away, his eyes trained on the tablecloth.

"Do you mean like that?" Starfire asked quietly.

He glanced up at her, then laughed. "Yeah, like that."

Rebecca raised a perfect eyebrow as a smile settled on  
her painted lips. "Grayson?"

"Hmm?"

"Would you like to dance with me?"

"I don't dance," he muttered, and Starfire smiled. Oh,  
how this seemed so familiar! This Rebecca was almost  
like Kitten, except worse.

"Oh, come on. It's a dance. You know, where people  
dance?"

"I know what a dance is. But I don't want to."

Rebecca sighed and shifted in his lap. "But there are  
other things we could do."

Robin's eyes lifted to Rebecca's but he said nothing.

She smiled seductively. "I know a very private place  
where we won't be disturbed. Only I know about it."

He raised an eyebrow. He knew exactly what she wanted,  
but he was still trying to decide if he wanted it. It  
wasn't as if he still had a chance with Starfire and  
he couldn't wallow in his self-pity forever. But then  
again, he didn't want to betray what tiny trust he had  
with Starfire.

"No thank you."

He watched the girl's cheeks brighten with anger. "You  
are such a jerk, Grayson!" Her palm connected with his  
cheek and he could only blink slowly as she leaped  
from his lap and stormed off.

Starfire was coughing loudly and Robin turned his head  
to glare. Beneath her hand, she grinned.

"Starfire," he said softly, quietly, eyes narrowed.  
"Shut. Up."

Her 'coughing' only worsened. "I am sorry!" Suddenly,  
she snorted. And then the giggles irrupted.

Robin slouched down in his chair and pouted as she laughed. "Damn."

Starfire took a deep breath, trying to calm her  
laughter. Oh, that was glorious! Seeing the look upon  
Robin's face when Rebecca slapped him would amuse her  
for years to come.

She laughed again, but it stilled when Jonathan  
approached. "Uh, Rose?"

"Yes?" She studied her hands, wishing that he would go  
away. But luck was not on her side, for he took the  
seat next to her.

"Look, I just wanted to apologize for what I did  
earlier."

Beneath her skirt, her foot tapped impatiently. "It is  
fine. No harm done."

"Yes, but you told me that we were only friends and I  
guess I tried to push it farther. I'm sorry."

"It's fine," she repeated.

"No, it's not. I should have never-"

"Do not worry about it." She said slowly, but he still  
continued to apologize.

"I should have never-"

"Jonathan. You are forgiven."

He blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Can we, I  
don't know, start over?"

She raised an eyebrow, lifting her eyes to his. "Start  
over?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah. I mean, act like this never  
happened."

She cocked her head, a smile tugging at her mouth.  
"And how do you wish to go about that?"

He grinned. "How about we start from scratch?"

"As in pretend as if we have never met?"

"Exactly! So, what do you say?"

Starfire smiled and shook her head at the absurdity of the situation. "Alright. Starting  
from the beginning sounds nice."

Robin scowled as they laughed and pretended to just  
meet. It was so stupid. Jonathan was stupid. Starfire  
was stupid for laughing at the guy. And he was stupid  
for being jealous when Starfire seemed so happy. But  
that still didn't stop him from mentally whooping  
Jonathan's ass and taking Starfire away on his white  
stallion.

"Would you care to dance?" Jonathan asked suddenly and  
Robin's eyes narrowed into nothing more than slits.

Jonathan glanced at him, and Robin swore the jackass  
smirked at him. It took everything in his power to  
keep from leaping out of his chair and strangling the  
jerk off.

"Of course." Robin's hand twitched as Jonathan gently  
took Star's hand and led her to the dance floor. Oh,  
that jackass!

"Dude, you look like you're about to pop a blood  
vessel," Beast Boy said, plopping down across from the  
pissed Boy Wonder.

"I'd say he already has," Raven mused.

"Bite. Me." Robin didn't take his eyes off Jonathan as  
he danced with his Star.

"Touché." Beast Boy laughed, amused. "But you do know  
it's your fault."

"Shut up, Beast Boy."

"Uh, no thank you. This is the first time that I  
actually get to be the bully instead of being the one  
bullied. I'm gonna milk this for all it's worth."  
Beast Boy smirked. "It's nice having the upper hand  
for a change."

"You never have the upper hand when you date Raven,"  
Robin muttered, his scowl deepening as Starfire  
laughed at something Jonathan said.

Raven glowered at him. "What does that mean?"

"It means Beast Boy is just more prone to your  
insults."

"Oh no, you are not going to change the subject. We're  
pointing out your mistakes, not mine."

"Oh, so dating me is a mistake?" Raven asked. Though  
her voice was calm, her eyes were burning with fury.

Beast Boy flinched and tried to cover his mistake.  
"Oh, no, no, no, no, no! Dating you is the best thing  
I've ever done! What I said just came out wrong. I  
didn't mean for it to sound like that. I…uh…oh, look,  
Colt wants to talk to me. Gotta go." Beast Boy jumped  
from his chair and practically ran to Colt, leaving a  
very ticked half-demon scowling at his retreating  
back.

"Idiot," she muttered.

"I hate him." Robin murmured, his eyes flashing with  
hatred.

"Beast Boy? Oh, come on, Robin. He's just-"

"No. _Him_."

Raven followed his line of vision. "Oh. Jonathan."

"What right does he have to speak to her like that? I  
mean did you see him kiss her earlier? He had no damn  
right to do that. Starfire deserves better."

Raven sighed. "I hate to be the one to say it, but  
it's your fault. You lost your chance. And now,  
Starfire is testing new waters. She's been in love  
with you since she joined the team-"

"I don't want to hear this."

"-And you are just going to have to deal with the  
prospect that she's finding someone else to love now  
that she knows there will be nothing between you two."

"I told you-"

"I could care less about what you told me. Deal with it,  
Robin. You can sulk all you want, but Starfire is  
through with you. Hell, I can't blame her."

"Raven, shut the hell up."

Her eyes narrowed. "No."

"I don't need to know this. I already know."

"Then why don't you grow up and start acting like an  
adult? I'm getting tired of you drowning in your  
self-pity because you were stupid and pushed her away.  
Why don't you toughen up and act like a man?"

"Raven-"

"Don't Raven me. Grow up. There is no chance with you  
and her now, and you can't sulk every time she dates  
someone else."

"Why are you lecturing me about my problems when you  
have your own to deal with?"

"And what does that mean?"

"Just mind your own business, Raven."

"Robin, you're like my big brother, so that gives me  
the right to point out your mistakes."

"Then I should be able to point out yours."

"I know my mistakes and I either fix them or try to  
make things better. Now you, on the other hand, are  
still acting like a two year old."

"Raven," he bit out, but she just sighed.

"I'm through now, don't worry. But if you don't  
toughen up or grow up, I swear I'll knock some sense  
into you. I might not have the physical strength that  
Star does, but I can inflict more pain than any broken  
bone can."

Robin cringed, but never took his eyes from the  
couple. "I'm already in enough pain without your  
help."

"Good. You need to be in pain. But compared to what  
Starfire's going through, you're-"

"Yeah, I know."

"Then stop feeling sorry for yourself."

Robin drug his eyes away from Starfire long enough to  
glare at Raven. "Why don't you go bug someone else?"

She glared. "Because you deserve to be pestered."

"But Beast Boy is the one who said dating you was a  
mistake."

"True. But I'm still not leaving this table."

Robin scowled and stood up slowly. "If you'll excuse  
me."

"Robin?"

He glanced down at her. "What?"

"Don't do anything stupid."

He sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets and  
walking off. "I won't."

Raven sighed softly. "Why doesn't that sound  
comforting?"

* * *

"Where the hell is that stupid woman?" Robin muttered  
as he shouldered past couples, groups of teenagers, and scowling chaperones.  
"I know she hasn't left yet."

Robin groaned in frustration. "Damn women to hell."

"I should say the same about men."Robin turned around and found himself face to face  
with Rebecca. Robin blinked. "Oh. Hi."

She folded her arms under her chest and raised an  
eyebrow. "Where's your girlfriend?"

"What?"

"Miss-I-think-I'm-Better-Than-Everyone-Because-I'm-A-Virgin."

"Oh. Rose." Robin laughed nervously. "She's not my  
girlfriend."

"Really? You seem disappointed."

Reluctantly, he shook his head. "I'm not. She's way  
outta my league."

"Oh really? And I guess that means that I'm not, huh?"

"Nope, you're just about my type. Rose is the kind  
who'll go after money and that's something I don't  
have." _Er, why the hell am I telling this bimbo that  
Star's money-hungry? Lord, Robin, you have some  
serious jealousy problems if you're going behind her  
back and lying for no good reason. _

"I figured her to be the type." Rebecca shifted her  
feet. "Were you looking for someone?"

"Uh, yeah, actually, I was."

"Umm. Need help finding her?"

Robin lifted an eyebrow. "How do you know it's a  
girl?"

"Instincts."

He shook his head slowly. "Actually, it seems I've  
already found her."

Rebecca glanced around before it dawned on her. Her  
lips curled slowly. "I see. So you still want to take  
up my offer?"

"Yeah, I do."

She grinned and took the hand he offered. Pushing  
herself closer to him, she raised on her toes and  
kissed him softly. "Follow me."

Robin let the girl lead him away from the crowd and  
glanced backwards. And found Starfire watching him  
with wide, hurt eyes.

* * *

"That chlorbag!" Starfire slammed her palm against the  
side of the school, ignoring the pain that flew up her  
arm. "How dare he talk about me that way! And after  
all I did for him!"

Starfire sighed in defeat and slid down the wall. She  
plopped down on the snow-covered ground, wrapping her  
arms around her torso to somehow warm herself. In her  
drunken rage, she had forgotten to grab her jacket and  
now, as she shivered in the cold, she wished  
desperately for the warmth of the large gym. But she  
couldn't go back in there, at least not now. She was  
too hurt, too angry, and was afraid that she might  
take it out on some unsuspecting human.

_I guess this is what you get for giving someone like  
Robin a second chance_, she mused, her shoulders  
slumping as hot tears trailed down her cheeks. _And all  
I had wanted was to ask him if he wished to dance with  
me. But instead, he's off with his bimbo, telling her  
that I am selfish and money-hungry. What did I ever do  
to him to deserve this kind of treatment? Or maybe  
this is just how Robin really is, maybe I was wrong in  
thinking that he was kind and selfless. That he could  
care for someone other than himself or Slade.  
_  
Pulling her knees to her chest, Starfire sighed. Maybe  
now was the time to give up on him. God knows she had  
done everything in her power to make sure he was  
happy, that he had someone there when things got too  
hard for him to handle. But in the end, he just pushed  
her away. It had always been like this. Her, wishing  
to take some of the burden from his shoulders and him,  
shoving her away with his cruel, malicious words. She  
didn't know why she had let him hurt her time after  
time, but no matter how she told herself that he  
wasn't worth her time, she would make an excuse for  
him, telling herself lies about how he didn't mean it,  
or how he was just angry.

Perhaps people were right. Maybe she was too naive, too  
trusting. Come to think of it, she had been tricked  
countless times by villains because she had always  
believed that people could change. Now, the prospect  
seemed useless. People couldn't change. Evil cannot  
become good.

Starfire groaned and stood up slowly, dusting the snow  
from her gown. "Brooding is pointless." She said to  
herself as she dashed away her tears. She needed to  
grow up. She would have to deal with pain throughout  
her life and she needed to be immune to it as soon as  
she could.

Worrying her lower lip, Starfire slowly walked around  
the school, eyes trained on the white ground. Her  
hands cupped her upper arms and tried to warm them as  
she ventured to the football stadium. She stood before  
the gate and let out a breath at the beauty before  
her. Snow always seemed to amaze her, no matter how  
cold it was. It was beautiful, covering the earth in a  
pure white blanket and not even the dreary skies could  
take away from the magnificence.

Starfire walked through the gate, not noticing the  
abundant shoes prints beneath her feet or the shadows  
that darted beneath the bleachers. Starfire shivered  
as snow seeped into her shoes, but it all went ignored  
as she walked through the snow.

The icy sting helped rid of her depressing thoughts,  
so now all she worried about was the cold. She didn't  
wish to think of Robin or his deceitful words. All she  
wanted was to curl up under her covers and read one of  
Raven's romance novels she had 'borrowed'.

Starfire paused in the middle of the field and sighed,  
her breath puffing out before her mouth. As her bright  
eyes scanned the field, the hairs on the back of her  
neck prickled. She was not alone.

Then she heard it. The crunch of footsteps on the  
snow. Her shoulders stiffened. Damn it. Her eyes  
narrowed as men clad in black appeared from all around  
her. And all wore black mask concealing their faces'.

Starfire cursed under her breath and readied herself  
for a battle. Since there was no way she could fly,  
she would have to deal with all this on foot. She  
cursed the fact that her powers were fueled by her  
emotions. Now that she was heartbroken, her flying  
powers were failing her. But at least her star-bolts  
were powered by nothing but fury. And she was feeling  
a heap-load of that.

She lifted her chin. She could take them on, even if  
there were about two-dozen of them. Speaking of, who  
were they and why did it seem as if she was their  
target?

"Who are you?" She called out, eyes and hands glowing.  
Someone chuckled, but she didn't know where it came  
from.

"All you need to know, Sugar, is that we're gonna take  
you down."

Keeping her body straight, Starfire glanced over her  
shoulder, though she kept her eyes on the ground. It  
was easy to stay focused that way, instead of paying  
attention to just one area. It was how she stayed  
alive when fighting with the Titans.

"Were you paid to defeat me?"

"Defeat you?" Chuckles spread throughout the crowd.  
"Honey, we're here to deliver you."

"Deliver? Oh. I see. You are in league with the White  
Rose Killer."

"He was right, boss. She is smart." The men scoffed at their own hidden joke.

Starfire growled in aggravation. "Are you going to  
fight me or converse amongst yourself?"

Silence settled over them before they laughed. "Nice  
language, Beautiful. But you're right. Enough chatter.  
Alright men, let's get started. We get a nice little  
sum of money if we bring this one in alive."

Starfire's spine snapped straight as she prepared for  
battle. But she wasn't expecting them to all dive at  
her at the same time. Several grabbed her from behind,  
jerking on her skirt, hair, and arms, while some  
reached for the front of her. Her hair tumbled down  
from the top of her head and flowed down her shoulders  
and back in a waterfall of flaming curls. Her eyes  
sparked with fury as one of their hands' brushed  
against her breast.

Shoulders shaking in rage, Starfire's let her whole  
body be enflamed by green electricity, and the  
henchmen stumbled backwards, eye wide as their target  
glowed, literally.

Starfire's full skirt billowed around her legs, her  
hair blowing around her body like a cape. For a  
moment, the men were mesmerized by the ethereal  
beauty the girl portrayed, but it was short lived when  
the green aurora around her snapped and was spread  
around her. Their eyes widened as the force of  
electricity threw them back.

Starfire calmed down, cursing her temper. She had used  
too much power. Groaning, she almost hit her knees as  
a wave of weakness slammed into her. But she couldn't  
succumb to the weakness. She had to fight.

But in her vulnerable state, she never heard the  
man behind her until it was too late. Her eyes widened  
as she turned. And hurdling toward her head was a  
metal pipe. The blunt object hit the side of her head  
so hard that stars danced in front of her eyes. She  
hit her knees, her breathing ragged, and drops of  
blood stained the pure snow.

"Ha! She wasn't so hard, boss." She heard one of them  
mutter, but she was too busy trying to keep her gaze  
steady. She hit all fours as her stomach rolled with  
nausea and blood slid down her temple.

"Damnit," she cursed weakly, her fingers digging into  
the cold snow. She was not going to let them get the  
best of her. She was going to-

"Starfire! Good Lord, where the hell are you! You've  
got everyone's pants twisted-oh Jesus." Mallory froze  
at the gates to the stadium, her dark eyes wide at the  
sight before her. Her fingers were white against her crutches.

"Leave!" Starfire called out weakly, turning her head  
to the defenseless girl. "Get help."

The men around her started to whisper. "Isn't she one  
of the ones we're supposed to take?"

"Yeah, that's the one with the kid."

"Well, lets say we kill too birds with one stone, eh?"

"Mallory, run!" Starfire yelled, her voice raising in  
panic. She pushed herself to her feet, and struck out,  
her fist connecting with a body. She ignored the  
sickening crack of breaking bones as she took out each  
man that came her way. She managed to get four of them  
down before she was grabbed from behind, her arm  
twisted painfully behind her back until the bone  
snapped from its socket. She ground her teeth against  
the pain and jerked her head back. Her crown connected  
with the man's jaw, and his grip loosened. As she fell  
forward, his hand snapped out, but instead of getting  
her hair like he had planned, he grabbed the necklace. The chain broke in  
his hand and he threw it down with a roar of rage.

Starfire hit the ground hard. Her breathing ragged,  
she scrambled up and managed to get to her feet. Blood  
dripped into her right eye, blinding her. She ignored  
it. Right now, all she had to do was keep their  
attention from Mallory.

Setting her teeth, Starfire popped the bone back into  
its socket, a low growl the only sign of pain.

"Boss, we got her!" Starfire turned her head and  
watched as Mallory fought against the two men that  
held her.

"Get your greasy hands off me!" She yelled, her elbow  
connecting with her one of her attackers ribs. The man on the  
left guffawed as his partner yelped in pain.

Mallory cried out in pain as her arms were twisted  
behind her back and she was forced to her knees. She managed to get her cast straight, even though her thighs burned in agony.

"Nice work. Now, we just gotta get this-" Starfire  
didn't let him finish. The man's eye widened behind  
his mask as a tan fist slammed into his nose. He flew  
backwards and crashed into a group of his men.

"Fuck! That bitch broke my nose!" The leader of the  
men growled, covering his bleeding nose with his  
gloved hand.

"Get her! And make sure you knock her out!"

Starfire readied herself as they launched themselves  
at her. But she took each on out with either a  
star-bolt or her bare hands. Livid, Starfire slammed  
her fist into one man's stomach.

The leader watched with a scowl as each man was taken  
down by a teenaged girl. Damnit, since when did he  
have such a pitiful army of thugs? But he couldn't let  
this girl get away. The man who gave him this job was  
offering ten grand for each woman he brought in. All in all, he would receive fifty thousand . He didn't know why the boss-man wanted the five girls specifically, but he didn't care. All he wanted was the money, and there was no way he  
was letting this little woman get away from him.

The one man who stood beside his leader reached into  
his jacket. "Is it time?"

The leader nodded at the large, dark-skinned man with  
a scar slashing across his eye. "Yeah. It's time."

The huge man walked slowly toward the girl. Her eyes  
were alight with green electricity as he approached.

Star was already finding it hard to stand. She watched  
warily as the man approached, one hand resting inside  
his jacket. His face was bare, and she took in  
everything; the ragged scar, the dark eyes, the wide  
mouth set in a straight line, and the huge, muscled  
body that challenged even Cinderblock.

Her right eyes stung and her shoulder throbbed, and  
the pain in her head was almost too much to bear, but  
she stood her ground.

"Come, now, little lady, don't make this more  
difficult," he said in a booming voice. "It'll be  
easier on you if you go down without fighting me."

"I never go down without a fight," she snarled,  
ignoring Mallory's pleas of surrender.

"Come on, Starfire! Don't do this! You're already  
hurt!"

"Listen to her, girl. You're about to drop where you  
stand."

Starfire's eyes narrowed as he stood in front of her.  
She brought back her glowing fist, but he was faster.  
He caught it and crushed it in his large hand, loving  
the feel of shattering bones beneath his hand.

Starfire cried out, couldn't help it, and hit her  
knees. The large man never let go of hand, but eased  
down with her, his eyes alight with pleasure.

He brought out his other hand and slid the long, thick  
needled into her blood-covered throat. "There, there,  
that wasn't so hard, was it?"

With the pain and drugs running through her veins,  
Starfire fell forward, her eyes closing as darkness  
colored the edge of her vision. Soon, her world went completely black.

The leader of the mob watched as the large man lifted  
the girl in his arms. "She was a tough one, wasn't  
she?"

The big man nodded, his eyes caressing the girl's  
face. "Yes. What about the other one?"

"Still got enough left?"

"No. I used it all on her. His orders."

The leader sighed, watching as some of his men  
struggled to their feet. He spat in the ground.  
"Weaklings."

"So, whadda we do with this one?"

The leader's eyes turned to the dark-haired girl, who  
was fighting against his men even though her movements  
helped nothing. "Just knock her out."

"But how-"

"Think of something."

The men exchanged looks and Mallory groaned. "Damn."

They laughed. "How about a little knock over the  
head?"

The leader nodded. "Just make sure she's still alive  
after your done."

The grinned evilly. "I'm sure we can do that, boss."

Rolling his eyes, the leader turned his back and  
kicked one of his unconscious minions. "Those of you  
who are still moving, get these lazy idiots up and  
lets go."

They nodded and gathered up their defeated men. The  
man holding Starfire grinned. "I can't wait till we  
get the money."

The leader returned the smile. "Me either. Me either."

* * *

From now on, the seriousness starts…darn. I'm never good at serious stuff. But oh well. Oh, and, er, if your interested in the other ideas I have, I added them to my profile, so if you wanna check it out and tell me which ones you think I should do, just…head over there. I'd love it if you'd email me and tell me which ones sound interesting…oh, and sorry if Bumblebee was OOC. I haven't really paid any attention to how her personality was portrayed in the show. Oops. I wanted to thank my beta reader, but I was stupid and didn't write down the name, so I can't right now. But you know who you are, and I loved the way you changed some sentence around and made them sound _so_ much better.

And I was going to dedicate this chapter to someone, but damnit all, I, again, didn't write down the name…crap. But they told me about the Full Metal Alchemist manga, and since I now worship the ground they walked on, I was going to dedicate the chapter to them. But me and my blondness didn't write down the names…I give all blondes a bad name…Anyway, enough of my rambling. So, until the next chapter! (And maybe this time my computer won't delete my hard work!) --


	31. Chapter Thirty: January 20th

Well, butter my backside and call me a biscuit! I did it! I finally finished reading the Full Metal Manga! Well, to the chapters that had been translated. Now I can finally pay attention to the White Rose only (until the next chapter of FMA comes out, of course.) But now, all I'll pay attention to is to the White Rose. Go me! And…I am so sorry to my beta readers, but I just had to post this as soon as I could (I am so impatient --). So I'm sorry about the mistakes…please forgive! Oh, yes, this is dedicated to Shantel, who I worship the groundyou walk on for leading me to the FMA mangas.

* * *

The jerk wasn't participating. He had been the one to seek her out, yet he was staring out into space like he was wishing he were anywhere but here. And he wasn't even _enjoying_ this. No matter what she did, he stayed immobile. And damnit, it was starting to get annoying. If he wasn't up for the act, then she wasn't going to waste her time, no matter how pretty he was or how muscled. A girl could only take so much. 

With her eyes narrowed, Rebecca wound his tie around her hand and jerked on it hard. Robin snapped out of his thoughts as he was being choked by a very angry blonde.

"Alright, buddy. You're really starting to piss me off."

Robin blinked. "Huh?"

Rebecca jerked on his tie again. "You're not participating."

"In what?" he asked, lost. What was she talking about? What was he supposed to be taking part in?

She opened her mouth, then close it again, left eye twitching in anger. "You can't be serious…"

Robin growled in frustration. "What are you talking about, woman?"

For the second time that night, Robin was slapped. Rubbing his sore cheek, Robin glared at her. "I wish you'd—"

"You were the one who came looking for me so you could get under my skirt and yet you won't even kiss me back!"

Robin blinked once. Twice. "Huh?"

Rebecca ground her teeth in anger. "I am going to kick your ass, Grayson."

Robin's eyes widened as he narrowly missed being slapped again, except this time she was lashing out with a fist. "How dare you!"

Robin ducked under her arm, but as he straightened, his head hit a shelf of a file cabinet and he cursed.

"What is your problem, huh? You are the one who seeks me out, and you are the one who wanted to take my offer, yet the minute you get in here, you go off in your own little world. I kissed you and you did nothing. _Nothing_. I mean nothing happened, and believe me, when I kiss a guy, something always happens."

Rubbing his throbbing head, Robin fought for the right words. "Uh…um…"

"You were thinking of that redhead, weren't you?"

Robin blinked slowly. "Uh…"

"I knew it! I knew you wanted her! Jesus, man, how in the hell can you want that thing?"

Robin was immediately on the defensive. "What do you mean by that 'thing'?"

Rebecca blinked at his snippy tone and glanced up to see his amber orbs narrowed. She smirked. Finally, he was showing some sort of emotion.

"You go for the weak, I-need-a-knight-in-shining-armor-to-survive, don't you?"

"Star—Rose is not weak."

"Star? Is that your little pet name for her? What, do her eyes shine like stars when you kiss her or something? You are pathetic if that bitch is your type."

"No, I was pathetic for ever getting involved with you." Robin reached for the door handle, having every intention of getting the hell out of there, but Rebecca blocked his way.

Grounding his teeth, Robin bit out, "Move."

"No. I came all the way out here to have—"

"Get out of my way."

Rebecca smirked, and Robin wondered what the hell he had ever seen in the girl. "No."

Without warning, Robin grabbed the girl by the shoulder, shoved her away from the door, and stormed out, her hollow curses following after him. Now that she was out of his hair, he had to go find Star and apologize.

Pushing his way into the gym, Robin squinted against the blinding lights and made a beeline for Beast Boy and Raven, who were having a heated discussion while they swayed to the song.

"Hey, Raven, where's Starfire?" He asked when they were within ear shot.

Raven paused in her conversation to turn to him. "We don't know."

Robin felt his heart drop into his stomach. "What do you mean, you don't know?"

Raven shrugged, her eyes scanning the crowd. "We have Mallory, Wyatt, Colt, Jonathan, and Harley looking. She stormed out awhile ago and we haven't seen her since."

"You mean she went outside alone?" He asked, fear making his tone cold.

"Yeah. Hannah said she was crying or something, and we figured that we would let her cool down before we went and got her. So that's what they are doing now."

"Why the hell are you still in here? Why aren't you going and looking for her?"

Beast Boy stepped forward, his eyes narrowed. "We are staying in here in case she comes back inside, jackass."

"You weren't looking, you were dancing!"

Beast Boy glared. "Where were you when she stormed out? Lemme guess," Beast Boy said with disgust, "you were with Rebecca?" At the guilty look on his teammate's face, he scowled. "You were the reason she was so upset, weren't you? This is all your fault."

Raven blinked and decided this was the time to interfere. She stepped in front of Beast Boy. "Hey, calm down. I will not have you two brawling in public like hotheaded children. Save that for after we find Starfire."

Suddenly, Raven was grabbed by the shoulders and set apart from Beast Boy, who she had been standing in front of.

"What the—"

"I can't find Mallory anywhere." Raven glanced up to see the panicked eyes of Wyatt.

"She went off to find Starfire, without my permission, might I add, and when I went to look for her, I couldn't find her. I told her to stay inside, but while I was looking around, she went outside to find Starfire. Now, she's missing!"

Beast Boy laid a reassuring hand on Wyatt's shoulder. "Calm down, man. We'll find her. All we have to do is split up. Robin, since you're the one who pissed her off, you look outside and the rest will go their own way."

"Alright…I guess…" Wyatt gnawed on his bottom lip, his gray eyes filled with fear. "What if…what if he has her? What if the White Rose Killer has both of them?"

"Shut the hell up!" Robin snarled, but deep down, he feared the same thing. What if that bastard did have Starfire? What if…no, he couldn't think that. He had to be strong, had to think that Strfire was just letting out steam.

"I'll check around back," Robin muttered as he pushed past Wyatt. Shoving his hands in his pockets, Robin pushed the double doors open with his shoulder and stepped out into the cold.

The bitter wind bit through his clothes, but he didn't notice. This was all his fault. If he had just listened to his heart instead of his hormones, he would be sitting inside, watching Starfire laugh, even if it was because of Jonathan. But now, he had a sinking feeling that she was already gone.

Guilt spread through his system like a virus. If she was gone, he…he didn't know what he'd do. God, why hadn't he just ignored that bimbo? Why did he have to go chase her down and spout off lies? If he had of never scouted Rebecca out, Starfire would be inside. But he had gone off with that idiot, and he had hurt Starfire again. Was that all he could do? Hurt her?

And the sad thing was, he had only hurt her to make himself feel better. It had always been about him. Always about Robin. He had never once considered what Starfire would feel, or how his anger and jealousy would affect her. He had taken away everything. He had taken her air of innocence. If it wasn't for him, her eyes would still glow with curiosity at the world around her. She would still be smiling when a butterfly took flight, or coo over Beast Boy when he tripped over his long legs. But not now. Now, those beautiful, innocent eyes were filled with wariness. Because of him, she knew what it was to be hurt. She now knew what it meant to be alone, to think that no one was there for her. And it was all his damn fault.

Seeds of self-disgust took root deep within him, and Robin scowled. How could he do something like that? How could he ruin her like he did? How could he be so damn selfish?

Sad thing is, this really hadn't been the first time he had hurt her. Hell, he had been slowly tearing her apart since they started the team. When she had offered a shoulder to cry on, he had pushed her away. When he had become so obsessed with a criminal, she would cry for him, worry that he wasn't getting enough sleep, fret that he wasn't eating right. And he knew, even if she didn't show it, that his constant rejections had haunted her, day after day. When he would finally come out of his room, he would look into tired green eyes that were too dark for his optimistic alien. And the only way he fixed it was by smiling, even if it was just a mere quirk of his mouth. Her eyes would lite up and everything was fine again. And it had gone like that for years.

But now he had done too much damage. Starfire would never be the same because he was selfish and only thought of his needs, not hers. Robin swallowed, trying to rid his throat of the burning sensation that he recognized as tears. Bloody hell.

"Hey, Robin, wait up!" Wyatt called out, sliding to a halt beside Robin. "I'll help you look outside, okay?"

Robin shrugged. "Whatever."

Wyatt blinked, falling into step beside Robin as he headed around the building. "Where should we look first?" He asked after a short pause.

Robin leaned his head back to stare at the dark sky. "I don't know."

Wyatt glanced at Robin before his eyes darted to the side. He had an idea about the relationship between the titan and his comrade, but he didn't know if it was his place to bring it up. The thing about Robin and him was that they were similar. Not only were the personalities alike, but their problem with women. Wyatt had pushed Mallory away from him, like Robin was doing with Starfire.

Finally, Wyatt decided to speak up. "You know, you and I are alike."

Robin raised an eyebrow, though his head was still turned up. He really hoped that he didn't run into a wall or something... "Oh really?"

Wyatt shrugged. "In a way, yes."

"Well, are you going to explain or leave me hanging?"

Wyatt chewed on his tongue, trying to find the best way to word his opinion without actually blaming anyone.

"I treated Mallory the same way you are treating Starfire. I thought that if I wasn't around her, that if I didn't involve myself with her, she would be happier_. Christian_ would be happier."

Slowly, Robin turned his head to face Wyatt. "Where are you going with this?"

Wyatt smiled, though it held no humor. "I was wrong. It didn't make them happier. I made things worse. You know how they say that if you love someone, let them go? Well, whoever thought of that was either stupid, or had never been in love before. If you let the one you love go, all you're doing is killing them emotionally. You think you're doing something right, but all you're doing is screwing it up until there is no way to repair it."

Robin's eyes narrowed as he listen quietly to what Wyatt was saying. "In my quest to push Mallory away, I resorted to lying. I told her things that would crush her. I used her weakest points against her, reduced her self-confidence to nothing more than ashes. And later, when I lay in my bed, I wondered why I even did it. I could have just told her the truth from the beginning, saved her from the hurt, but I was too wrapped up in myself and my problems that it hadn't even crossed my mind. I had only thought of myself, never her. I never once thought about her when I pushed her away. It had always been about me. Always me. In my twisted mind, I had made myself believe that hurting her would save her. From me. From my past. The future. But the longer it dragged on, the more I realized that…I could have made her happy. My past had nothing to do with it. I could have loved her without fail, but because I had talked myself into my own lie, I had made her hate me.

"And I almost lost her and my son. She almost died thinking that I didn't care. I realized that because of my own selfishness, I almost ruined an innocent girl whose only sin was loving me. And everything I had believed seemed so stupid. I didn't need to hurt her. I didn't need to push her away from me. We both would have been happier if I had just told the truth and let her help me battle my demons. And she has. It might sound like some corny romance novel that Mallory reads (which, might I add, I do _not_ read) but she was the only one who could have battled them. She was the only one who could have saved me from myself. Without her, I'm nothing. I couldn't even protect myself from my own mental demons. I was willing to lose everything because I was scared to turn out like my father. And the funny thing is, it took someone else to convince me that I was not like him, that I was better.

"What I'm really trying to get out is that hurting her was pointless. It didn't help a damn thing, and instead of being there to protect her like I should have done, I let my weakness get the better of me and stayed in the background. You don't know what you have until you lose it. Unfortunately, I did. Almost, at least. And I will not lose her again." Wyatt shoved his hands into his pockets_. Did I even get through to him? Hell, did I even make any damn sense? Prolly not…_

"In other words, you're trying to tell me that I'm selfish for hurting Starfire?" They walked onto the football stadium, but never noticed anything.

Wyatt blinked and took Robin's words into consideration. "I've never been good at lying so…yeah. You're selfish. And stupid for thinking that pushing her away was for her own good. Only an idiot thinks that way. Of course, I'm also an idiot, but I changed. You, on the other hand, are just…stupid. Simple as that. Oh, and I can't forget to mention selfish. If you're anything like I was, this is all about you. It never had to do with Starfire. It was all about you and how you couldn't have her because you were afraid. Get the drift? It was all about you. See, that's how I was. Selfish. And now, the White Rose Killer might have her, and it's all your fault."

"You bastard!" Wyatt knew that tone. He blinked and barely had the chance to turn around before Robin pounced, knocking them both to the ground. Wyatt narrowly dodged Robin's fist, but because the teen was so mad, he was sloppy, giving Wyatt the advantage. Since Wyatt was under him, he was able to pull his knees to his chest and literally throw the Boy Wonder off. Robin flipped in midair, using his hands and feet to catch himself. He slid backward, eyes flaming, but as he ready himself to attack once again, he noticed a glint of sliver by his hand.

Crouching back down, Robin reached for the dulled necklace, lifting it until it dangled before his eyes. The chain had snapped and the silver was coated in dried red. Dark red. Blood. Robin swallowed hard as he picket up the locket that had laid beside the chain. The locket had opened, revealing a picture of his parents holding a dark haired toddler with bright eyes and a toothy grin with only four teeth.

Jesus. This was the necklace that he had given Starfire before the dance. Defeated, Robin collapsed, not even bothering to hide the tears that filled his eyes. Oh God.

"Robin," Wyatt said softly when he saw Robin collapse, crouching down in front of the teen. He had already taken a look at the surroundings, and had a faint idea of what had happend. "I…I think you should look around."

Hesitantly, Robin glanced up from the necklace. And before him lay blood splattered snow. He bowed his head again. She was gone. Hurt. Maybe dead. And this was all his fault. All…his…fault…

Robin covered his eyes with his forearm, choking back the sobs the threatened to irrupt from his throat. Starfire was gone. The White Rose Killer probably had her, all because of Robin's selfishness. This would have never happened if he had just stayed with her instead of going with Rebecca. She would still be by his side if he had never lied for no reason. But now he didn't know where she was, or if she was still alive. How…how could he have been so stupid?

"Robin…" Wyatt said softly, unsure of what to do. He couldn't stand it when a woman cried, but when a man cried? He was useless. Hell, at least with a woman he could have taken her in his arms and comforted her, but there was no way in hell he was about to hug a man. Wyatt sighed, rubbing his palms over his eyes. Dropping his hands, he glanced around. "I'm sure she's fine. By the looks of this place, she…" But he trailed off when his gray eyes landed on the two objects by the gate entrance.

Rising to his feet, Wyatt slowly walked over to the gate. What were they? Maybe they were just a part of the fence or something like that. Jeez, at first he had thought that they were…crutches. Oh damn.

With shaking hands, Wyatt reached for the discarded crutches. When his hand hit cold metal, he jerked back as if burned and pressed both of his palms against his forehead.

"Damnit, no," he whispered to himself. "I can't lose her again, not after I made her happy again. Jesus."

Maybe…maybe she was…no, that wasn't possible. Mallory couldn't walk without her crutches. They had tried that in physical therapy, and she had only stumbled and had finally fallen. Maybe these weren't even her crutches. Maybe…shit. Mallory had gone outside to find Starfire. The only other person with crutches was Harley, and she had stayed inside with Colt.

Wyatt leaned against the fence, fist clenched at his side and head bowed. Damnit! How could he have let her go like that? Well, truthfully, she had been the one to sneak away from him. He had told her specifically to stay inside, but _no_, she had to be stubborn and go outside after he forbidden her to. If he had just stayed at her side…no, she would have still snuck away. So her and her damn stubborn pride had gotten her into this. At the moment, he didn't even know if the White Rose Killer had her, but who else would go after her? The only one who would want her would be the White Rose Killer. But no one knew where he was. It could have been a simple kidnapper, but that seemed to farfetched, especially since Mallory was a target for the White Rose Killer.

But right now, he had to stay strong. He would get Mallory back, no matter what it took. He needed to keep a clear head, else he breakdown as Robin had. And he was already on the verge of tears. Damn.

Wyatt decided to leave the titan there while he went and fetched the other to tell them what had gone down. Wyatt swallowed hard as he walked through the gates. _Please,_ he prayed, _let them be okay._

* * *

Raven stared at the blood on the ground, her eyes emotionless. In the background, Beast Boy and Robin were screaming at each other. It had been Beast Boy who had started the fight, but she knew why he did it. Robin had been in a state of a breakdown, and the only way to get him back up again was to argue. And Beast Boy was doing a good job of it. 

"You're such an idiot! God, it's so hard to believe that you were once our bloody leader! No wonder we never caught Slade. We had a jerk like you leading the way." Beast Boy snapped, trying to think of another insult without actually bringing Starfire up. Boy was it hard. Maybe he should let Raven have a go at it…

"Take that back!"

"No! It's true and you know it!" Beast Boy groaned inwardly. This was starting to get annoying. He couldn't think—

"The only reason we couldn't bring him down was because we had someone as weak as you on the team. Not once did you ever help out. All you ever did was get in the way, so don't tell me that I'm an idiot. At least I'm not weak."

Beast Boy's spine snapped straight. Why that…How dare he say something like that? That was…so damn true, but so mean…

"Oh, I'm weak, huh? At least I think about others instead of myself. This is all your fault. If you hadn't of…" Beast Boy trailed off and ground his teeth. He would not let his anger get this best of him, he would not let his—

"You know good and well that the team would have done better without you, yet you stayed. And you call me selfish. We could have been the greatest teen heroes on the planet, but because of you, we were ridiculed. You never once helped out. When things got bad, you cowered. You acted like an idiot and came up with stupid ideas that only children would come up with. An army of commando hamsters? Come on, Beast Boy. You're an idiot and you know it."

Beast Boy bowed his head and tried to reign in his temper. _Calm down_. _He just wants a rise out of you. He's just trying to help with his pain. But this is so like him. Using someone else's weakness to make himself feel better. _

"Raven could do so much better than you. Hell, the only reason she deals with you is because she pities you."

To hell with it. Beast Boy grabbed the lapels of Robin's jacket in his fist and almost jerked the Boy Wonder off his feet. "So, this is how you pushed Starfire away, huh? Using her weakness against her like a coward." Beast Boy lifted narrowed eyes to Robin's. "She's gone because of your selfishness. If you would have thought of someone else for once, Starfire would be safe. But you went off and chased your little bimbo down and spouted off lies so you could get laid. Ethan heard the whole thing. You know, you really are sick. Starfire never did anything to you. All she ever did was love you, and you pushed her away. And now, because of you and your egotism, she's gone and we don't know if we'll ever get her back."

A drop of water hit his hand, and Beast Boy blinked. Was it raining? But as more drops began to fall, he realized in mild horror that Robin was crying. Instantly, Beast Boy felt guilty.

"Hey, man, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it, I swear. I—"

"I'm sorry, Beast Boy," Robin said calmly, way too composed for someone who was crying. "I was wrong in attacking you like that. I didn't mean any of it…it's just…I don't know what I can do. I don't know how to get her back. And…I can't…I can't function without her. I know this is my fault. I know I'm the reason he has her, if he has her. And the only way to really atone for it is taking my own life."

Beast Boy's eyes widened. "You—"

"But I'm not going to. I have to find Starfire, no matter what it takes. I will bring her back, and she will be safe, even if I have to risk my own life in the process. No one takes Starfire away from me." Robin slowly lifted his eyes. The gold orbs were bursting with flames of anger, unlike anything Beast Boy had ever seen in his life. Instead of darkening, the anger seemed to make his eyes brighter, almost completely white. Truthfully, it was kinda creepy, in a cool sorta way.

Beast Boy blinked. "Alright. So what do you suggest?"

"I'll search every spot in Jump City. I will not let that bastard get away with her."

Beast Boy nodded, letting go of Robin's collar and carefully dusting out wrinkles. "Sorry about what I said…I didn't…"

"It was true. But Starfire will not die thinking that I don't love her." Robin swatted Beast Boy's hand from his jacket before he stormed away.

"Well," Beast Boy muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets. "That went well."

"I'd say," Raven said, monotone. "You sure showed him."

Beast Boy scowled. "Shove it. I really don't want to deal with your sarcasm right now…" he trailed off when he noticed Raven's eyes. His scowl disappeared as his eyebrows drew together. "Hey, she'll be alright. You know how Starfire is. No matter how tough the opponent, she can carry her own."

"I'm not worried," Raven snapped defensively, crossing her arms over her chest and turning her back to him. "I don't—"

"You care and you know it. She's your best friend, Raven. I don't care how hard you try to mask it, but you're worried. I've known you long enough to know how you feel, Raven…well, sometimes…" He sighed, pulling her back against his chest and resting his chin against her cold shoulder. "You don't have to hide anything from me, Raven."

"I'm not hiding," she said.

Beast Boy sighed, his hot breath fanning across her shoulder. "Alright. If that's what you want to believe, then who am I to stop you?"

Raven risked a glance over her shoulder, her amethyst eyes briefly meeting his forest green orbs. "I…am worried. I know she's capable of taking care of herself, but Starfire has always depended on her emotions. If she's like I think she is, and hurting, she won't be able to defend herself well. We know Starfire could have flown away, but by the blood (if it is hers), she didn't. She probably couldn't fly. It's just…" Raven groaned and leaned her head back. "I suck at telling how I feel."

Beast Boy shifted behind her so her head was nestled against his shoulder. "At least you're trying. That's better than I could have expected. But…right now, we need to call Twain and—"

"Already here. Robin called." Beast Boy glanced up to see a snow-covered Twain. The detective flicked the snow off his shoulders, eyes scanning the area. "Red and the mother are missing, right?"

Raven blinked slowly. "How do you know?"

Twain met her eyes briefly before he spun on his heel toward Robin. "They're the only two missing, and by the field, I'd say there was a struggle," he said over his shoulder, already fishing a small notebook and pen from his jacket. "I was just a guess. I was taught to look for the obvious."

Beast Boy scowled at Twain's retreating back. "Was he being sarcastic?"

Raven shrugged gently, folding her arms over her chest.

"By the way, Robin told me." Beast Boy rolled his eyes.

Raven shivered as the wind caressed her body. Why she didn't bring a coat was beyond her. But then again, a coat would have taken away from the darkness of her dress, and she had planned on staying inside the entire time. She felt Beast Boy move behind her and before long, he place his jacket around her shoulder. Instinctively, Raven huddled inside, taking in the warm, comforting scent of Beast Boy. Wow. He really did smell good.

"What happened? Where's Rose?" Raven rolled her eyes as Jonathan mowed Ethan over in his hurry to get to Robin. Ethan's arms flapped like a bird before he caught his balance. Hannah snickered.

Jonathan turned quickly to apologize, but he tripped over Twain's foot and was sent sprawling backwards. Robin broke off his sentence as he watched the man crash into the blood splattered snow and rolled his eyes.

Jonathan blinked and rose up, shaking his head slightly. "What…" His eyes landed on the blood and Robin swore the man screamed like a little girl. Twain cringed as the shrill sound pounded inside his head, and he stuck one finger into his ear and wiggled it slightly, as if it would help bring back his hearing.

"What is that?" Jonathan shrieked, falling back on his butt and doing the crab walk.

"We think it's Rose's blood," Robin said with a raised eyebrow.

"Where…where is she?"

"We don't know," Raven added, pulling Beast Boy's warm coat closer to her. "We think she was taken by the White Rose Killer, along with Mallory."

Jonathan's eyes widened with fear. "The White Rose Killer has her?"

Beast Boy scratched the back of his head. "We don't know yet. Maybe you should go home and rest for awhile. We're all leaving now, so the police can do their business. Twain will take you home."

Twain turned to Beast Boy. "The hell I will."

"Then call Waylin or someone. He looks like he's about to faint." Twain grimaced as he used his mouth to flip open his cell phone. "Jeez. I dread the day my kid becomes a teenager." After calling Waylin to pick the pale boy up, Twain turned back to Robin for his questioning.

"Do you know exactly what happened? Like maybe why she was out here? Did she go off with some man? Or fresh air maybe?"

Robin rubbed his pounding temples. "She went out here because I hurt her."

Twain's pen paused on the paper. "Hurt her? Like, emotional or physical?"

Robin's eyes narrowed into nothing more than slits. "I would never hit Starfire."

Twain scribbled down something. "So, you said something stupid, she ran out, you…where were you when she left?"

"I went off with another…girl…"

"Ah, alright." Twain chewed on the antenna of his phone. "You said something to hurt her, she ran, you went off with a girl, she was attacked and taken, the other one probably went out looking for her, she was also taken, you find out she's missing, come here, and talk to me?"

Robin scowled. Twain nodded as he wrote down something again. "Kay. Got it. Now, go home and get some rest—"

"No. I want to find Starfire."

Twain sighed in aggravation. "We need you to go so we can gather what little evidence there is, and I will make sure you know everything, got it? Other than that, there is nothing you can do. Not even the police force knows where the White Rose Killer is, and some angry teenaged boy like you will just get in the way. Anyway, you'll need your rest if you really want to find her. So, everyone, outta my way!" Twain plowed through the snow as Waylin approached them.

"I need you to call Ortega and his little group so we can tear this place apart, kay? But first, take that weakling home. I think he passed out." Twain watched Waylin trot off as he flipped open his phone again. "Damn."

Twain's eyes scanned the crowed and landed on Ethan and Hannah. They couldn't go back to the hospital. The White Rose Killer knew where they were, and now that he had one of the strongest women of the five, he would probably be running on adrenaline. He would end up targeting Hannah again.

But where could they go? They were too young to have a place of their own, Beast Boy and Raven already had roommates, and Robin and Wyatt needed some time alone. So, that left… "Bloody hell!" Twain roared, rubbing his temples. Damn, damn, damn, damn! He would have to watch the two. Bloody hell…

Muttering lewd curses under his breath, Twain stormed over to Hannah and Ethan. "You two, listen up."

Hannah and Ethan glanced up to see a wild-eyed detective. "Yes," Hannah asked slowly, eyebrow raised.

"You're gonna stay with me at my house, got it? Being at the hospital is too risky, and everywhere else it taken, so that leaves me no choice but to take you under my wing. Damn." Twain folded his arms across his chest and muttered another curse. "But when we get there, I'm gonna set some ground rules, got it?"

They nodded slowly, still a bit lost. "Of course." Ethan nodded, his eyes meeting Hannah's. "So…do we go with you now, or ride in the limo? If we ride in the limo, we need to know your address—"

"Bloody hell…" Twain rubbed his jaw for a moment before he called out to Ortega, who had just shown up with his team of investigators. "Hey, I'll be back in a minute."

Ortega nodded. "Gotcha."

Twain groaned, rubbing his temple with the tips of his fingers. "Kate is going to kill me." Letting out a deep breath, Twain herded the two teenagers to his car, watching patiently as Ethan helped Hannah into the automobile before he fiddled with the wheelchair. After a few colorful curses, he finally managed to get the chair into the trunk with only a couple of bruises.

As he made his way to the driver's side, he heard Ethan say, "You don't have to do this. I mean I can get a hotel until this is over—"

"So you can have under-aged sex? No way, kid. I'm not stupid." Ethan suddenly became flustered, stuttering his objections.

"I was your age once, kid. I know how your mind works. So just shut up and get in the car." Twain glanced in the backseat to see a very embarrassed teenaged girl, who was biting her lower lip.

"Mmm-hmm. You we're thinking along those lines, too," Twain muttered, eyebrow raised in amusement when Hannah snapped, "No I was not, you pervert."

Shaking his head in suppressed amusement, Twain turned the ignition so that the engine purred beneath the hood. "Pervert, eh? Jeez, only my wife calls me that."

"Well you are," she muttered, face turned toward the window. Twain rolled his eyes and pulled out of the high school parking lot, wondering what he had done to deserve this.

* * *

The ride back home was silent. Robin was still seething with anger, but he stayed semi-calm, his jaw clenched and hands fisted. As Raven studied him, she couldn't tell which emotion was stronger: the guilt or the rage. Wyatt had been dropped of long ago and the next destination was Rebecca's house. 

Raven felt an overpowering feeling of heartache when she thought about her missing friend. Though she could usually keep her emotions at bay, the pain was strong, stronger than anything she had ever felt. Almost more that rage. And she hated it.

Her eyes drifted up to Beast Boy's as he laced his fingers with hers and smiled gently. "It'll be alright, Rae. I promise."

She searched his eyes before turning them away to Rebecca, who had kept her space from Robin the entire trip. Her arms were folded across her chest, her mouth set in an annoying pout. At the moment, Raven couldn't stand the wench.

Her eyes connect with Harley's. "You okay?" Harley asked softly, her head resting against Colt's shoulder. Obviously, they had made up.

"I'm fine," Raven said, her tone dispassionate.

Harley's eyes clouded with doubt, but she didn't ask Raven anything else.

Raven glanced at the empty spot beside her and felt an unfamiliar burn in her throat. She prayed that Starfire was alright. But she knew Starfire could take care of herself. Though she was naïve, she knew how to protect her and others. Mallory and Starfire were probably fine. Hell, Starfire would probably be driving the White Rose Killer nuts with her constant barrage of questions, demanding answers and such. The White Rose Killer was probably bald, if he wasn't already.

The limousine came to a halt, and Rebecca hopped out. Before she shut the door, she leaned forward and scowled at Robin, who was ignoring her. "You'll regret not being with me."

Robin's eyes stayed focused on the window, not even glancing her way. Rebecca's jaw clenched and she slammed the door.

The window inside rolled down and the driver turned in his seat. "Where to next, kids?"

When Robin made no move to answer, Beast Boy sighed and told the man Starfire's address. When the car arrived, Robin opened the door and got out, not even bothering the tell the others goodnight before he slammed the door.

Colt sighed, his eyes trailed on the floor. The silence was deafening, but no one had the energy to talk. Colt's finger's drummed against Harley's cast in agitation. He had always hated the silence. It was why he kept a fan on in his room at all times, even if it was forty below outside. But now, he couldn't break the silence. It wouldn't be right.

The limo came to a halt and they poured out, Beast Boy already fishing for the apartment keys. Packing into the elevator, the waited patiently for it to reach their floor. Raven cleared her throat, glancing around. Beast Boy grimaced at the tacky music wafting through the speakers, and silently counted down to the second they would get to their floor.

The doors slid open and they walked out, Colt waiting as Harley hobbled out. Beast Boy was already at the door, trying to unlock it. His eyebrow's drew together when it didn't work the first time. He tried again. Finally, the door opened, and he walked in.

"I can't wait to go straight to sleep," Beast Boy murmured, flipping on the light.

"Crap," Colt muttered, "You get the—"

_Thump. Thump. Thump._ Colt trailed off as the sound drifted through the apartment. _Thump, thump, thump._ Raven pushed past Colt, eyebrows draw together.

"What is that?"

Beast Boy shrugged slowly. "I don't know. Maybe it's a rat or something."

"Whatever it is, is sounds like it's coming from Raven's room," Harley said, her eyes on the door.

"I'll go check it out."

"Yeah, if it's a rat, maybe you can talk it into going away," Colt joked, laughing when Beast Boy glared.

"Bite me."

Raven rolled her eyes when they started to bicker, and decided to take matters into her own hands. She walked toward her door, shivering inwardly. She hated rats. _Thump, thump, thump._ Raven swore that if one jumped out at her, she'd have a heart attack.

Shivering, Raven opened the door.

_Thump._

_Thump. _

_Thump._

There, hanging from her ceiling, was Darcy. Her body had been split open from throat to belly button, blood and bile still pouring from the wounds. Her internal organs were visible, even though the moon was the only light in the room. Her glassy, dead eyes started at Raven. Between her teeth was a white, un-bloomed rose, immaculate even though blood and vomit dripped from her mouth. Her body bumped against the blood splattered wall slowly as the rope around her neck swung side to side.

_Thump._

_Thump._

_Thump._

Raven screamed.


	32. Chapter Thirty One: January 20th

Raven didn't remember much after finding Darcy. After screaming, her mind went completely blank, though she never passed out. She just stared straight ahead without screaming, without moving, almost without breathing. She vaguely heard Beast Boy murmur, "Oh God," when he came to see what had caused her to scream. Raven felt her stomach lurch in horror, felt the bile rise in her throat, but somehow, she managed to keep it down. The scent of blood and vomit was overpowering as it spilled from Darcy's mutilated body.

Beast Boy gently pulled her away from the door. With his heightened sense of smell, the scent was literally making him dizzy. Beast Boy gagged as wave after wave of nausea hit him. Jesus. He glanced down at Raven, whose amethyst eyes were wide and unseeing. Her horrified scream still rung in his ears and he knew he would never forget it as long as he lived.

Colt glanced inside the room to see what all the commotion was about, gagged, then slammed the door, not allowing Harley close to it. Unfortunately, Colt wasn't taking it well, for he bolted to the bathroom.

Harley stared wide-eyed at the door, her mind whirling. The scent of blood was thick in the air as Harley turned her eyes to Raven. What had she seen? Who was behind-? Harley saw something leak out from under the door, and slowly turned to see small rivers of blood. Harley's eyes snapped up to the door when it slowly opened. But... hadn't Colt slammed it?

As if someone was opening the door from the inside, it opened, revealing...Harley snapped her eyes shut the minute they landed on the foot swinging back and forth. Keep your eyes closed, keep your eyes closed, she told herself. Bowing her head, she turned her body, eyes never leaving the floor. She was not going to let herself see what lay behind that door. Hell, even without knowing what Raven had seen, she felt like she was going to hurl.

Beast Boy gently picked Raven up bridal-style, and ordered, "We have to get out of here. Raven's gone into shock and I need to call an ambulance. Harley, get your cell phone and bring it outside." Colt walked out from the bathroom, hand placed over his mouth, his eyes dull with shock. Harley almost panicked at the sight of him, but she regained herself quickly, and walked into her room.

And cursed.

Her entire room was filled with white rose petals, some covered in blood, others unblemished. Her favorite stuffed bear that Colt had given her for her seventh birthday was ripped apart, and on her wall, written with blood, was '_Two down, three to go.'_

Instead of scaring her, it pissed her off. "Bastard," she growled, grabbing her blue cell phone off of the bedside table.

She heard something rustle behind her and turned to see Colt. "Oh, God, Harley," he murmured when he caught sight of her room.

Worried, Harley made her away to Colt. "Come on, we need to get out of here."

He nodded slowly, like he was in a daze, and Harley wondered if he had also gone into shock. But as she walked out of her room, she realized to late that Raven's door was wide open. And finally, she saw Darcy.

Unlike Raven, she didn't scream. But her legs gave out beneath her and not even her crutches could hold her up. They hit the ground with a thump, causing Colt to turn around. He seemed to snap out of his daze quickly when he spotted Harley, sitting on the floor, staring wide-eyed at Darcy's dead body.

With almost superhuman speed, Colt lifted Harley into his arms, forcefully making her turn her eyes away from the room. Snatching up the cell phone, Colt darted quickly from the apartment, joining Beast Boy outside.

"She saw her, didn't she?" he asked softly, taking in Harley's ashen features. Colt nodded slowly.

"I thought I had slammed the door, but I guess I didn't..." His voice was filled with guilt as he gently pressed his lips against Harley's temple.

"It...it opened...after you...shut it...like someone had opened it…from the inside," Harley said, though her voice was shaking.

Beast Boy's eyes snapped to the open door of Raven's apartment. And then he heard it: the sound of a body hitting the floor. "He's in there." Without thinking, Beast Boy gently put Raven down, ordered Colt to watch her, and stormed into apartment.

But as he stood in front of Raven's room, he froze. Darcy was standing in the doorway, blood still pouring from the wounds and dead eyes glazed. Behind her stood a man clad in black.

Beast Boy didn't expect it when Darcy was thrown at him, sending them both crashing to the floor, giving the man ample time to dash out the open window.

Beast Boy panicked as Darcy's corpse slid along his, coating him in blood. He threw her off, ignoring the sickening sound of her body slamming into the ground, and bolted up, yanking off his tie and ripping his shirt off. His torso was covered in her blood, and Beast Boy fought down nausea.

"We have to get outside," Colt said, already dialing 911. After managing to tell the woman on the other end what had happened, Colt called Twain. It had been hard to stay calm when Harley finally cracked and sobbed against his neck, and Beast Boy was trying not to hyperventilate. He had managed to get most of the blood off his chest with the back of his shredded shirt, but he would always see it, no matter how clean he was. His mind would always be haunted by it.

Twain was giving directions to Colt, doing his best to calm the boy. "Alright, I want you to take them outside and try to soothe them, okay? If you can, make them laugh, or bring up old memories, or something like that. Just try and get them to talk. Just, please, stay calm, alright, kid? I'll be there as soon as I can. I want you to get the hell out of the building."

"Al-alright," Colt stammered, "Should I get a blanket or-"

"No, just get them into fresh air immediately. I'm already on my way." Colt hung up and waited as Beast Boy gathered the still shocked Raven in his arms. Once they reached the main lobby, they ran out, ignoring the curious stares.

The minute Beast Boy's foot touched the cement his head was filled with the roar of sirens and screeching tires against the pavement. Twain leaped from his SUV and made a beeline for them, his eyes worried.

"I'm going to go check it out, alright?" He said softly, his eyes trained on Raven, who was still unresponsive. "I need a paramedic over here!" He snapped as the ambulance came to a halt. There were two of them, along with four police cars.

"I want everyone out of the building, got it? And do not, and I repeat, do not let anyone near here. Threaten to arrest them or something, but keep them away. I have four teenagers who are about to have emotional breakdowns here, and I don't want anyone to see it."

"Detective Twain, we'll need back up for that," one female officer said, her eyes trained on the teenagers. Her dark brown eyes softened.

"Then get them. I need all the help I can get here. Franklin, you stay here with the kids and try to calm them. The rest of you, come with me."

Beast Boy was reluctant to let the paramedics take Raven away from him, but he was ushered to the same ambulance as her, so they could wash off the rest of Darcy's blood.

"You okay kid?" Franklin asked as Beast Boy sat on the edge of the ambulance, Raven cradled in his lap. Both of them were covered with a thick wool blanket and Raven had somehow come to her senses without the help of drugs. Her body was trembling uncontrollably; her long nails digging into his chest.

"Somewhat," he said softly, his hand stroking Raven's back.

Franklin nodded. "Alright. I'll go check on the other two." She walked off, leaving Beast Boy and Raven alone. A crowed had already gathered outside and police officers were trying to get them away. They threatened to arrest them, but that didn't work. The perimeter of the building had been leveled off with yellow tape after every occupant of the apartment had been ushered out.

Ortega pulled up with Waylin in a police car, and the minute their feet hit the ground they were spouting off orders.

"I want anyone who has a camera arrested immediately," Waylin snapped, his eyes trained on his daughter as he made a beeline for her.

Ortega blinked. "Can we do that?"

"I don't know, but we are going to do it," Waylin retorted over his shoulder.

"Alright." Ortega shrugged and started to bark orders. "Anyone who has a camera, cell phone, or electrical device is to be arrested, got it?"

At that, over half of the crowd took off, leaving mostly the elderly, and the reporters, who didn't care if they were arrested as long as they got their story. Ortega had no idea how the reporters got here so quickly, especially when he himself had just shown up.

When they wheeled Darcy's body out, Raven shut her eyes tightly, that horrifying image playing over and over in her head. No matter how emotionally isolated she was, that image would drive her to breakdown any second.

"It'll be alright, Raven," Beast Boy soothed, pressing his lips against her hair.

"No it won't," Raven snapped, her voice deep with unsuppressed emotions. "I'll never get that image from my head as long as I live. We knew Darcy, became friends with her, and now... God, sometimes I wish that he would just take me and stop hurting people."

Beast Boy pulled her body closer to his. "Don't say that, Raven."

"It's true."

He sighed, leaning his forehead against hers. "I'm so sorry, Rae."

Her eyebrows drew together as her body quaked with shock, "For what?"

"I was the one supposed to check that room, not you. I was the one who was supposed to see that first, to prevent you from it. God, Raven, I am so sorry."

But before she could answer, a slip of paper was shoved into Beast Boy's face. "Here. It's a sedative, to get her to sleep. After something like that, you'll have a hard time closing your eyes. Go down to the hospital pharmacy and get this filled immediately, alright, kid?"

Beast Boy glanced up at the paramedic. His blue eyes were soft, his smile reassuring. "I could always ready a needle and give her a shot, but I think this is a better way of handling it."

Raven ignored the man, trying desperately to block out Darcy's mangled image. "Alright," Beast Boy said softly, taking the paper. "We'll get on it immediately."

Raven pressed her ear against his chest, finding his heartbeat somewhat calming. When he talked, his chest rumbled and Raven had to admit that it was the most soothing sound she could ever hear, next to his laugh. Raven glanced up slightly to see snow drifting down from the sky, and her body involuntarily shivered, even though Beast Boy's body heat warmed her.

Beast Boy shifted her so that the cover concealed her head, but Raven didn't have the energy to complain. Her body was worn out along with her mind. Along with the disheartening fact that her best friends was in the hands of a rapist, Darcy was dead; murdered in one of the worst ways possible, all because she had been pushed into the entire thing and had been at the wrong place at the wrong time. She had just been an innocent victim. And now, because Raven was a target of the White Rose Killer, she was dead.

Footsteps echoed around her, mixing with Beast Boy's heartbeat, but now, everything sounded hollow. She just...wanted to lay down and cry until she was too tired to even keep her eyes open.

"Here," she heard someone say, a woman, and Beast Boy moved, reaching out for something.

"What is it?" he asked, shifting so that both arms were wrapped around her slim waist after putting whatever the officer handed him down.

"Detective Twain said that I should gather clothing for you and that he wants you to get a hotel for the night. He's willing to pay for it. The other two are getting the same treatment as well, but Waylin is paying for it."

"Alright." Gently, he pulled the blanket from her head and looked down at her. "You ready to get out of here?"

Raven nodded, making a move to get off his lap, but his hands tightened around her waist.

"I need to get up so we can leave," she said, some of her annoyance making an appearance.

"No. I'm perfectly capable of carrying you to the car."

"And I am perfectly capable of walking. And...I don't want you carrying me in front of all these people."

She looked up at him to see his gaze softening. "I would feel better if I carried you, Rae. I'm... just so worried about you. I mean... it's my fault that you saw that-"

"Beast Boy, it wasn't your fault. I probably would have seen it anyway. Don't blame yourself."

He sighed softly. "I just wish I could have prevented you from seeing that."

Raven groaned, but didn't have enough energy to fight back. Beast Boy effortlessly lifted her up like she weighted nothing, covering her face again before walking forward. She pressed her hand against his chest, just now realizing that it was completely bare.

"Beast Boy?" She asked softly, watching the muscles jump beneath her palm. Never would she have imagined that Beast Boy would have had a body like this. It reminded her of something she would see in one of Starfire's girly magazines, the one with the centerfolds of shirtless men.

"Wondering why I don't have a shirt on?"

She nodded, but was unsure if he knew it. "Yes."

"He was there... in the room with Darcy. And that bastard cut the ropes, held her waist so she could stand, and waited until someone came. It was me, unfortunately, and I was the one who he shoved her onto. You can figure everything out from there. I damn near had a heart attack when he she fell against me, and I just had to get everything off."

"Oh," she said, trying to block out the metal image. "Seems you had it worse than I did."

Beast Boy's chest rumbled as he made a sound of disagreement. "I don't know..."

"Can we... not talk about this?"

"Sounds good."

"Hey, hold on a sec, there, kid." Beast Boy stopped and turned his body. She recognized the voice as Twain's.

"Let me help you." Raven couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Twain was suddenly... being nice.

"Alright..." Beast Boy said hesitantly, and Raven heard a door open, meaning they were inside the building. Raven grabbed the blanket and pulled it from over her head so she could breath. She patted her hair, hoping she hadn't ruined Darcy's work. A wave of remorse washed over her as she recalled the last moment she had seen Darcy.

She had seemed... distant. Like she was always looking over her shoulder. Usually, she had been sweet, charming, and talkative, but when Raven had seen her today, she had been snippy, especially at Starfire.

Raven groaned and burrowed closer to Beast Boy. She was so tired, yet she feared going to sleep. Those sedatives were going to knock her out, she knew, and prayed that she dreamed of nothing tonight. She closed her eyes, yet kept her-self awake. She didn't know if she would ever get over the gruesome sight that had met her eyes, if she would ever recover. Would her nights be filled with mutilated bodies for the rest of eternity?

She opened her eyes and found that they were at the parking garage. Twain opened the door to their car, and Beast Boy gently placed her in the passenger seat. She groaned at the loss of Beast Boy's warmth, and huddled against the blanket that smelled of antiseptics. Beast Boy shoved a large bag into the back seat, but Raven had no idea what it held. She turned her head slightly, watching as Twain handed Beast Boy a wad of bills.

"You don't have to do this, detective," Beast Boy replied, already shoving the money back at Twain.

"Kid, that girl of yours needs a bed to sleep on and warm food. You won't be returning to that apartment, and there is no way I'm allowing you to sleep in a car, so just take it. Unless, of course, you want her to suffer more."

Twain waved the money in front of Beast Boy's face, his lips set in a smirk with a dark eyebrow raised. "You know you want to take it," he said devilishly. "Two hundred bucks is a lot of money. You could even get a four-star hotel. Think of the room service. And who knows, you might even have enough to by condoms."

Beast Boy sputtered, jerking the money from Twain's hand with a fierce blush. "You're perverted, Twain."

Lex threw back his head and laughed. "That's the second time I've been called that tonight." He shook his head before he turned serious once again. "I'll have a talk with the mayor about keep you at the hotel until we get the White Rose Killer, alright? He can't say no, especially when you've come this far. And anyway, he knows that I'll ruin his rep if he declines. So, go ahead and get her medicine filled and try and get some food into her. I'll talk to you later." Twain headed for the elevators, but paused and turned back around. "Call me when you get to the hotel, alright? I don't care what time it is. I'll tell your teammate tomorrow where you're staying."

Beast Boy nodded and watched Twain disappear. He walked around to the side of the car, but instead of going to the driver's seat, he stopped at the backseat.

"What are you doing?" Raven asked, keeping her eyes trained on the foggy windshield.

"Putting a shirt on. I'm freezing my butt off without holding you."

Raven had a feeling she was blushing, but was too tired to care. "Does that bag have clothes in it or something?"

Beast Boy's words were muffled slightly as he worked a black long-sleeved shirt over his head. "Yeah. One of the female officers gathered everything from your room. Guess she got some things for me as well."

Pulling the shirt over his trousers, Beast Boy climbed into the driver seat and turned on the ignition. The first thing he did was flip on the heater. Beast Boy glanced at her before reaching across and grabbing her seat belt.

Raven couldn't help but roll her eyes as he fastened it. "I was capable of doing that myself, Beast Boy."

He smiled, but storms still raged behind his eyes. He was a bit traumatized by having Darcy's body thrown on him. Raven couldn't help but admire the way he was handling it. "But it gave me a chance to touch you, now didn't it?"

Her eyes drifted heavenward again. She slithered up in the seat so she was sitting like a regular human instead of a limp noodle.

Beast Boy pulled out of the parking lot, gently drumming his fingers against the thick steering wheel. He finally came to terms with the fact that he would never get over having a dead body slid against his, or seeing the innards of a human being without having any intention of becoming a surgeon.

Beast Boy's fingers clutched the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. It would take some getting used to, of course. He would try and lock the image out of his head, though he knew it would probably never work.

He sighed, slowly uncurling his fingers. He couldn't worry about himself right now. Raven was his main concern. He gazed at her from the corner of his eyes, only to find her watching him. Her usually pale cheeks were flushed from the heater, but she still huddled beneath the blanket.

"Are you alright?" She asked softly, her eyes drifting to his fingers.

He blinked as he returned his gaze to the road. "Sorta. Are you hungry?"

Raven shifted in her seat so that her back was pressed against the door. Now, she had a perfect view of his profile. "I wouldn't be able to keep it down," she admitted, leaning her head against the cool glass of the window. She kept her eyes on his face, for it gave her something to concentrate on. She feared that if she looked away, she would remember...

Beast Boy frowned. "You need to eat something, Rae. You didn't eat at the dance."

"I just... want to take a shower and sleep."

He nodded as he pulled into the hospital parking lot. "I hope this doesn't take too long." He maneuvered the vehicle into an empty space, put it in park, but made no move to turn the key off. "Do you want to stay here?"

Raven slowly shook her head. "No." Truth was, she didn't want to be alone. She was... scared to be alone.

Beast Boy nodded, turning the car off. He climbed out, walking to Raven's side and opening the door. She left the blanket inside, and when he asked her why, she answered casually, "It doesn't go with my dress."

Beast Boy chuckled softly, taking her small, cold hand into his. "You never cease to amaze me, Rae."

She glanced down at their entwined hands, wondering why the hell her heart was pounding in her chest. He was only holding her hand... jeez. But then again, when he kissed her, her knees usually turned to Jell-O.

Involuntarily, her eyes lifted to his mouth. When was the last time he kissed her? Her mind drifted away from Darcy and became occupied with her sporadic make out sessions with Beast Boy. It seemed like it had been ages... and why the hell was she even thinking about that? She should not be thinking about Beast Boy kissing her. Hell, she wasn't supposed to think about anyone kissing her. It was an unwritten rule. Raven did not think of people kissing her, or anything close to that... even though she did have the occasional wet dream that always centered around Beast Boy...damn.

They walked into the room hospital waiting room, the occupants starring at her strangely. Beast Boy let go of her hand so he could talk to the nurse in the cubical, leaving Raven standing alone. She glanced down at her dress, smoothing down the silk fabric of her skirt. In all actuality, Raven wasn't that tired. She knew that the minute her head hit the pillow, she would be haunted with horrifying visuals of Darcy. That alone was enough to keep her awake.

"Come on, Rae. The pharmacy is next to the gift shop on the third floor." He walked back to her, holding the slip of paper in his hand

"Third floor? But wouldn't it be on this one?"

Beast Boy once again grabbed her hand and led her to the elevators. "I would think so, but the nurse said that it was on the third."

Once Beast Boy had dropped off the prescription, he tried to talk her into eating. "Rae, they said that you needed to eat before you take the sedative. The pharmacist said that if you don't you'll spend all night throwing up instead of sleeping."

"I don't know if I can handle food right now," she admitted after a long, stubborn pause.

"I'm not asking you to eat an entire meal, just something that will settle well with the medication. How does...?" He tipped his head back as he thought of something small, yet filling for her. After a few minutes, he groaned. "I can't think of anything that you would willingly eat. We could always stop at a gas station and get something there."

"Alright." She said calmly, no fight in her voice. It threw him off, instantly making him wary. Was she up to something, or did she just not want an argument?

"I don't want to fight with you, Beast Boy. Not now."

He nodded, eyes scanning her face before he grinned. "Alrighty, then. Since it'll take a good thirty minutes before you're medicine is ready, why don't we go ahead and find a good hotel?"

"Okay. Fine with me." Once outside, Raven shivered, noticing that the snow had already coated the ground in a white sheet. It fell thickly from the sky and melted once it hit her skin.

Beast Boy groaned when he made it to their car, only to find it covered in snow. "Damn," he muttered.

Raven became frustrated when Beast Boy simply glowered at the car, so she took it into her own hands and fished out the keys from his front pocket. She swore Beast Boy jumped three feet when her fingers disappeared into his pant pockets.

She rolled her eyes and yanked the keys out. "Don't get any perverted ideas, Beast Boy," she warned, sighing in aspiration when he started to babble incoherently.

By the time he could think of a good comeback, Raven had already started the car and was lounging against the seat, eyebrow raised in amusement.

He took a deep breath, but let it out slowly when the movement sent the thick layer of snow tumbling from his shoulders. Had he really been standing there for that long?

Beast Boy climbed into the car, thankful for the heater. Once on the road, Raven dared to close her eyes, and actually drifted off for a few moments. But just as she became comfortable, her mind flashed with an image. Dead eyes stared at her, body swinging back and forth, slowly.

_Thump._

_Thump._

_Thump. _

Raven was jerked wide-awake with a gasp, her heart thudding in her chest. Jesus Christ.

Beast Boy jumped in his seat when Raven jerked awake, momentarily losing control of the car before he once again maneuvered it back into its own lane. Thank God no one was on the highway.

His eyes darted to Raven. "Are you okay?"

She swallowed hard, gently shaking her head as if to rid it of the nightmarish image. "No, I'm not."

Beast Boy's eyebrows drew together in worry, and tenderly, he reached a hand out and laid it on her thigh reassuringly. His long fingers kneaded the muscles gently. Raven fought against exhaustion as his soft touch drew her closer to sleep. She was not going to sleep again.

Knowing that Raven was fighting to stay awake, he pulled his hand away from her and flicked on the radio. Raven let out a tiny moan at the loss of his hand, but he quickly replaced it after he pushed a CD into the player. Evanescence slowly drifted from the speaker. He knew it was one of Raven's favorite CDs and was hoping that it would somehow calm her.

After what seemed like hours, Beast Boy pulled into a large hotel parking lot. He helped her from the car, taking her hand in his and walking to the large double doors. The inside of the lobby was warm, with beige shag carpet and soft brown walls, completely furnished with large paintings and tapestries. The furniture was all leather and looked so comfortable that Beast Boy was tempted to ask if he could just sleep there.

The woman at the counter looked like she was in her early twenties, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes that lit up when she spotted Beast Boy walking toward her. She set her thick book down and smiled widely at him.

"Hello, sir. How may I help you?"

Raven scowled at the women, but she smiled at Raven with a knowing look, and Raven calmed down... somewhat.

"Do you have any rooms available?" Beast Boy asked, his eyes drifting to the large hearth against the farthest wall.

"Yes, sir, we do. How many rooms would you like?"

"Two."

"One."

Beast Boy glanced at Raven. Raven ignored him and repeated, "We want one room, please."

His mouth opened, but he shut it quickly, at a loss for words. The receptionist smiled. "Would you like a two-bed room, or king sized suite?"

"A king size suite would be perfect."

Beast Boy's eyes were so wide they hurt. He blinked rapidly as the woman typed something into the computer.

"Rae, why just one room?" He asked after he managed to pick his jaw up from the floor.

She shrugged her slim shoulders. "I don't want to be alone," she stated simply, keeping her eyes straight ahead.

His shoulders dropped. Perfect. He would probably be spending another night on the floor. "You could have just gotten a two-bed room, Rae. I still would have been in the room-"

"Beast Boy, I plan on you sleeping in the same bed with me, so shut up and deal with it." Raven gave the receptionist Beast Boy's real name and he blushed. The receptionist bit back a grin as she eavesdropped on their conversation, and handed Raven a keycard.

As they walked off, Beast Boy had to ask, "Why did you tell her that name?"

Raven cut him a glance as they walked into the large, ritzy elevator. "She wanted your name, so I gave it to her."

"But..."

"There is nothing wrong with Garfield Logan, Beast Boy."

Beast Boy groaned. He just had to play truth or dare with the Titans when they were sixteen, didn't he? And, of course, he had picked truth. Raven was a truly evil woman for making him tell his real name. Cyborg and Robin had laughed their asses off, while Starfire had thought the name was adorable. Raven had just watched him as he suffered through his mortification at having his teammates know his real name. But then again, if he had picked dare, she would have had him do something utterly humiliating.

"Everything is wrong with that name," he whined, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Be proud of it, Garfield, your parents gave it to you."

"But Garfield is the name of a cat. A very fat cat, might I add, who eats meat and hangs around with a dog named Odie."

Raven sighed and leveled a stare at him. "Personally, I find it endearing."

"You find the name Garfield Logan attractive?" He asked skeptically, waiting for a sarcastic remark.

"Actually, I do."

He blinked at her, a healthy shade of pink coating his cheeks. Then he grinned. "Well, if you find it attractive, then I guess I can deal with it."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Garfield."

"You don't have to call me that all the time, though. But if you want to call me by my name, at least call me Gar."

Raven crossed her arms over her chest. "Alright, then, Gar." Beast Boy loved the way she said it, and would have loved it if she called him that for the rest of his life. It just sounded right coming from her mouth.

The elevator doors opened, and they spent a good ten minutes trying to find their suite. It, of course, was the last room they came to, and Beast Boy realized that it was also separate from the rest of the rooms. He had a feeling that this room was for honeymooners.

Raven obviously realized it to, for she turned to him before unlocking the door and said," Just because you're sharing my bed tonight does not mean that we're having sex, alright?"

For some strange reason, the thought of having sex with Raven hadn't even crossed his mind. Well, at least it hadn't tonight...okay, when they stepped into the hotel it hadn't.

"I didn't expect us to. I thought I was sleeping on the floor tonight."

Her eyes searched his and found that he really hadn't thought about having sex with her. She was beyond shocked to find herself disappointed. What the hell?

She turned to slip the keycard into the slot to open the door, her eyes wide in shock. Had she wanted him to think about making love to her tonight? Jeez, this whole night was seriously messing with her head if she was actually hoping that Beast Boy had thought about having sex with her...

Raven pushed open the door and flicked on the light. Though the room was beyond beautiful, it was a tad bit too bright for her taste. The floor was a bright white, the walls painted in pale beige, and the furniture was white, with gold trimming. A fire burned brightly in the hearth, and the room smelled faintly of vanilla. But what captivated Raven the most was the bed.

Raven walked over to the monstrosity, standing beside it. The very top of the bed was level with her chest. Raven couldn't help but gawk. "I wonder how many people were killed because they fell off this thing in their sleep."

Beast Boy chuckled, and before Raven could move, he grabbed her hips and lifted her onto the bed, twisting her so that she faced him. She scooted back on the bed, quickly realizing that Beast Boy's eyes were level with her chest. And right now, they were not moving.

Instead of being angry, she just rolled her eyes and used her knee to forcefully lift his chin so his eyes lifted to hers. "My eyes are here, Gar, not there."

He blinked before he chuckled and blushed. "I knew that."

"That wasn't a very good thing to say, Beast Boy," Raven chided, resting her chin on her upraised knee. The silk of her dress was soft against her skin and she gently smoothed her skirt around her legs so it draped over her and over the gold comforter of the bed.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Beast Boy said, "Bet this room has one helluva bathtub."

Raven nodded. "I think that while you go get my medicine, I'll talk a bath."

"That's a good idea. I'll go get that bag and bring it up here, then I'll head out and pick up your medicine and some food, alright?"

She nodded, scooting to the edge and purposely sliding down Beast Boy's body until her boot-clad feet touched the soft carpet. She didn't know why she had suddenly decided to do that, but she was glad she did when she heard Beast Boy's sharp intake of breath.

Her eyes flicked up to his before she slid away, venturing to a plush gold armchair and plopping down. Beast Boy had turned and his eyes followed her every movement.

Raven pushed her dress up around her thighs, leaving one leg bare save for the boot, the other covered by her skirt. She could have sworn she heard Beast Boy swallow from where she sat.

As she unlaced her boots, Raven said casually, "I'll probably already be in the bath by the time you get the bag of clothes. So do you think that you could just lay something out for me? I'd appreciate it if you did."

He nodded dumbly, eyes still watching her fingers as they plucked and loosened the ties holding her boot up.

"Thank you." Raven slid the boot off easily, thanks to the dreaded pantyhose she had been forced to wear, and thought of another chore her smitten Beast Boy could do. "Could you start running the water for me, Gar?" She found pleasure in the way his eyes lit when she used his name, and decided to do it more often.

"'Kay." As Beast Boy ran the water to her bath, Raven sighed and jerked off her other boot. Gently, she rolled her ankles before standing up, the brush of her skirt feeling slightly weird against her skin.

Raven walked into the bathroom to find Beast Boy leaning over the tub, checking the temperature of the water. She let herself enjoy the view before she said, "Thank you."

He turned his head to grin. "No problem." He straightened slowly, wiping his wet hands on his trousers. "Guess I'll be going now."

Raven nodded, reaching for the back of her dress. But she quickly found that she wasn't able to undo the strings. "Damn," she cursed, peeking her head out to see if Beast Boy had left yet. Thankfully, he was just about to open the door.

"Wait!"

He paused and turned around. "Problem?"

"Yes." She walked up to him and turned her back. "Undo this for me, will you? I can't reach it, and I'll be damned if I get into the water with this thing on."

Beast Boy quickly unlaced the dress, trying not to think of the simple fact that Raven was not wearing a bra under the dress, and turned his back when the dress gaped open to the curve of her back.

She mumbled a quick 'thank you' before walking to the bathroom and closing the door. She heard Beast Boy leave and sighed, pushing the dress from her body. As she reached to undo her hair, a lump formed in her throat. Poor Darcy. She had never done anything to deserve being murdered like that.

Raven was at first hesitant about taking down her hair, but knew that it needed to be washed. So, with great care, Raven managed to let her hair down and pulled the fake roses from the mass. She placed the tiny plastic flowers on the counter and sighed softly.

"I'm so sorry, Darcy," she murmured to herself. "I wish I could have protected you from him. I wish you had never gotten involved in this. But wishing is not enough. It won't bring you back, but I swear to you, I will not let your death be in vain. I will take him down, for you and all the other women who were killed."

Raven bit her lip, truly wondering if Darcy could hear her words. But even if she didn't, Raven would make sure Darcy did not die in vain. Now, Raven was willing to risk her life to bring the White Rose Killer down: For murdering innocent women, for raping children, and for taking her best friend.

She sighed deeply and stripped the rest of her clothes from her sinewy body. Sliding into the water, Raven listen quietly as Beast Boy walked back into the suite, obviously laying out clothes for her.

She flicked off the water and leaned against the marble tub, arching her back to release the kinks. Thankfully, it popped, and Raven sighed.

Dipping beneath the water to wet her hair, Raven wondered what she would do without Beast Boy. Not only had he been there for her during this whole escapade, but also he was willing to give up what he needed to protect her. Actually, he had always been there for her.

Raven lifted herself from the water, smoothing her hair back. The water was starting to wreak havoc with her mind, gently lulling her to sleep, so she quickly grabbed the packaged soap and scrubbed her body.

Though she had only been in the bath for ten minute, she stood and flipped on the shower to wash her hair with the hotel shampoo. After scrubbing herself clean from makeup and hairspray, Raven stepped out of the shower, water pooling beneath her feet. She wrapped a towel around her body and gently shoved her head out of the door to make sure Beast Boy was gone.

Finding the cost clear, she walked to the bed, where Beast Boy had lain out her clothes. She smiled slightly at the undergarments, wondering what his face had looked like when he grabbed them. She slipped on the simple white cloth, and couldn't wait to get the long sleeved pajamas on. The fabric was soft to the touch, and colored a deep blue. She didn't recognize the clothes, and figured that it must be Beast Boy's. She slid it on and jumped beneath the covers, delighted to find the sheets warm. But she quickly realized that her thick hair was soaking the pillow, and cursed, jumping up to find a brush. Her back was already wet and was starting to get uncomfortable, so she sat in front of the cheery fire, letting the heat dry her body.

Raven was lost in her thoughts when Beast Boy finally arrived, arms full of paper bags. His eyes searched the room until they landed on her. He smiled, shaking his head slowly.

"I know you didn't want a meal, so I picked up junk food for you. You're supposed to take the medicine before you eat. I know you don't like coke, so I got a simple bottled tea, if that's good for you."

Raven nodded and sat up slowly, bringing her almost dry hair over her shoulder. She grabbed one bag from his arms and started to rummage. "Doughnuts? Chips? Chocolate? Jeez, Beast Boy."

He grinned and pulled a simple bottle of water from the bag. "What? A guy has to have some junk food in his system. I can't live on tofu alone, ya know."

Raven muttered, "I don't see how you live on it at all." Raven chose a bag of frosted doughnuts from the bag and climbed onto the bed. She grimaced at the thought of eating anything, but knew something had to be in her stomach for the medicine to work. She managed to get one down before she pushed the food away completely, and took the two thick horse pills from Beast Boy's hand and downed them.

Since she was already bone tired, it didn't take the drug long to work. She allowed Beast Boy to tuck her in, but it was only because she was too damn exhausted to fight him. But she would not allow herself to sleep until Beast Boy came out of the shower.

She needed someone beside her, needed to feel his warmth. She couldn't sleep without knowing he was beside her. Thankfully, his shower was quick and he had changed inside the bathroom.

She lay on her side and watched him settle beneath the sheets. He turned to face her before he lay down. "Are you sure you want me in here with you? I mean, I can sleep on the floor-"

"Just lay down, Beast Boy." He smiled softly. He scooted down and turned his back to her. He knew to keep his distance, for fear of-

His body stiffened in shock when he felt her small body cradled against his back, her arms weaving around his waist. He turned his head to study her. "Raven, what are you-"

"Please, Beast Boy. I'm tired." Her eyes drifted close as she settled herself against him. But her eyes snapped open when he moved her arm, and for a brief moment, humiliation washed over her. Damn. Fine then, if he didn't want her pressed against him, then she would just turn around and-

But he turned to face her, pulling her body to his so her head was pressed against his chest. Raven blinked, and then settled her body against his. She knew she was not acting like herself, and she would probably act as if it never happen when the sun rose, but now, she needed someone beside her. No, she needed _Beast Boy_ beside her. Raven drifted off into a drug-induced sleep, unconsciously sliding her leg between his.

Maybe, she thought to herself, being with someone is not as bad as I made it out to be...

* * *

_  
The first thing she realized when her eyes drifted open was that her body was paralyzed. Starfire's eyes widened as she tried to move any part of her body, but nothing happened. She could feel everything, including her pounding head and shattered fingers, but nothing would move. It was as if her muscles were paralyzed, but her nerves were still working. Was that even possible?  
_

_Though she was unable to move her head, Starfire let her eyes drifted over her surrounding. She was lying flat on her back on what seemed like a smooth rock, hands tied above her head and feet shackled. Starfire let her eyes glide over the ceiling. _

Red rocks speared from the ceiling like needles. Drips of water slipped from the sharp spear-like rocks and dripped on to her throat and shoulders. She could actually feel the cold water as it slid along her skin. How was it she was able to feel everything, yet not be able to move her body?

She heard a soft curse from beside her. She knew the voice, but whose was it?

"I can't move a damn muscle." Mallory. "How the hell can I have a pounding head when I can't even move it? And why can I talk when my freaking neck won't even move?" Mallory kept on ranting about nothing in particular, and Starfire gently worked her jaw, which, believably, she could move with little trouble. So, she tried her act at talking.

"I am unsure." Thank God. At least she could talk. She hated the feeling of not being able to move and did not want to think of the fact that when the White Rose Killer appeared, she would be unable to fight him off. Damn. "I cannot move either."

_She heard Mallory sigh. "I really hope this is not how it ends. I mean I never really told Christian goodbye, and Wyatt... damn. I better not die like this or I swear I will haunt the White Rose Killer for the rest of eternity." _

Before Starfire could reply, raised voices could be heard. They were both men's voices, deep and hushed, but their argument echoed along the walls.

"Are you an idiot? Why in seven hells did you hire an entire mob? Now they know who you are and can go off and tell the police everything! Jesus, man, what were you thinking?"

"Shut up." The other said softly, as if he didn't have a care in the world. "I took care of them. Let's just say that they didn't make it back home to their waiting families."

There was a slight pause before the other asked, "You murdered them all? How did you manage that?"

"Don't worry about it. Right now, all we have to do is worry about our guests."

Starfire's body would have stiffened had she been able to move. Damn. They were coming over here.

"Comfortable, my dear?"

"I cannot move," Starfire said calmly. "Might you be able to tell me why?"

Starfire ground her teeth when she felt his vile hands roam over her. How she wished she could move her body and blast this bastard to kingdom come.

"It's an illegal drug that paralyzes the muscles, yet leaves the victim able to feel everything. It doesn't work for long, but I have a healthy amount stored in this place."

"You are a coward," she snarled, but he only chuckled. He leaned over her, but she was unable to see his face, for it was covered. "I will not be able to escape, so why do you cover your vile face?"

"I do not have what I desire yet. Once I have all of you, then I will remove the mask. Until then, you shall just have to wait."

Starfire bit back a groan of aggravation. "What will you do once you have us all?"

She heard him sigh and he pulled away from her line of sight. "You shall find out soon enough."

"Come along," the leader ordered his comrade, and soon they disappeared. Starfire cursed. That had not gone well. She didn't know what the hell they planned and with her being paralyzed, there was no way she could protect herself. She would have to depend on Raven, or Beast Boy, or... Robin.

Did he even care that she was missing? Or did he even know? Starfire realized that he was probably with Rebecca, unaware that she was gone, and would probably not make it out alive, or in one piece. Starfire felt the first signs of weakness wash over her. She was starting to give up hope. Robin would not care that she was in the White Rose Killer's clutches, and even if he were unaware of her current bind, he would arrive too late. The White Rose Killer would have already raped her, and she knew by then, she would pray for death.

Starfire fought back desperate tears. She would be damned if she let the White Rose Killer raped her. Starfire thought of possible ways to escape. Fighting was out of the question, unless the drug wore off. When it did wear off, she could pretend to be unable to move, and strike then. But what if he knew exactly how long the medicine worked? Or he could always inject her with it while she was still paralyzed.

Starfire groaned and tried to think of another way. Maybe… maybe somehow Raven could help. Raven had been having premonitions of the White Rose Killer's victims, so maybe she was seeing what Starfire saw now.

_She prayed that she as right, desperately wishing that her best friend could hear her silent pleas of help._

* * *

Raven jerked out of her drug-induced sleep the second Starfire's voice filled her head. She sat up quickly. The movement woke Beast Boy up and he groaned softly. Starfire was pleading with her to help, but after that, she was cursing, threatening to dismember Robin when she was finally able to see him. But then her voice drifted off, leaving Raven's head blank.

Raven sat back against the headboard and rested her forehead against her upraised knees. Starfire was fine. Pissed, but still alive. And Mallory was still with her, unharmed, and just as mad as Starfire.

Raven felt relief wash over her. Starfire was okay. But she still did not have much time. Raven tried to remember what Starfire had seen, and all her mind's eye could come up with was rocks. A cave?

"Raven?" She did not raise her head when Beast Boy called her name softly. Instead, she wrapped her arms around her legs and wished, not for the first time, that she didn't have her powers. She was thrilled that Starfire was safe, but what if she had to watch her best friend die, and know that she failed her?

Raven couldn't survive that kind of stress. Already, she had watched two or three deaths, just because of her powers. And after finding Darcy, she didn't know if her mind could take any more horror. She already felt that she was slowly losing her sanity. Watching another murder, especially Starfire's, would send her over the edge, and she knew that once she lost it, she'd never get it back.

The bed shifted under Beast Boy's weight as he moved beside her. Raven didn't even object when he lifted her into his lap. She merely curled up in a little ball. She didn't want to live this life anymore. Constantly wondering when she would see another woman raped and murdered, or having to close her eyes when she opened another door, wondering if she would see a dead body hanging from the ceiling.

All Raven had ever wanted was to be normal, to be able to feel things like humans. But she couldn't. And after awhile, she had accepted that fact. She had also known that she would probably be alone because of her powers. But now, she couldn't stand it. She wanted to be able to laugh, to cry, without having to worry about the building collapsing around her because of her abilities and powers. She wanted to be able to be around people, wanted to date like other people.

She wanted to show Beast Boy that she wasn't as cold hearted as he thought, that the sarcasm was just her way of hiding. She wanted to be with him, go on dates and hold hands and kiss like normal couples did. But she couldn't even do that. Even when he took her hand, she feared that her emotions would go haywire and snap something in two. Of course it hadn't happened, but she shouldn't have to worry about things like that.

Beast Boy gently massaged her back, his fingers kneading the tense muscles. Raven slowly let herself relax. But of all the things that she wanted, one stood out. She wanted Beast Boy. All of him. She wanted his body, his heart, wanted to hear him laugh because of her. She just wanted him. Nothing more. She could deal with the nightmares, the visions, as long as she had him.

Everything suddenly seemed so simple now. All she needed was Beast Boy. She could survive anything as long as she knew that he was around her. It was downright frightening, knowing that he was really the only thing that kept her together. That he kept her from slipping off the edge of sanity.

Almost hesitantly, Raven lifted her head. She met his worried eyes and fought down nervousness. She wanted to be with him more than anything, but did he want her?

His lips quirked upwards, but his eyes were dark with worry. "You alright?"

Raven nodded slowly, her eyes searching his. His shoulder seemed to relax and his eyes returned to their normal state. "You had me worried there for a second, Rae. I thought that-"

"I'm ready."

Beast Boy blinked rapidly. Ready? For what? A part of him knew, but he didn't think that Raven would want that from him. "Ready? Rae, what are you talking about? Do you need your medication again?"

Raven grabbed his hand as it reached for the bottle beside the table and gently brought it to her lap, running her fingers across his claws. She kept her eyes glued to their hands. "I want to be with you, Beast Boy. I...want...you."

Raven slowly lifted her eyes to his. Her heart slammed against her ribs and butterfly wings brushed against her stomach as he gently leaned in and kissed her lightly. "Are you sure?"

She nodded slowly, and wondered if her heart was about to burst. Gently, he lifted her in his arms and laid her back down. Raven swallowed hard, her stomach clenching in nervousness. She trusted him completely, but she was scared. What if she did something wrong? Or what if she wasn't good enough? She knew that Beast Boy had slept with Terra before, and that was digging into her self-esteem. What if Terra was better than her and he realized that he still had feelings for her?

And why in the hell did she care? She shouldn't be worried about these things. She should be calm, composed, like she always was. But she realized that there were just some things that not even she could handle without nerves. She was about to give herself completely to Beast Boy, and she had the right to feel nervous.

Beast Boy tenderly lay down beside her, resting his large hand against her stomach. He felt the muscles clench and had to ask again, "Are you sure about this, Rae? This will change everything. We can never take it back again."

Raven stared at the ceiling for a moment, momentarily wondering if she really wanted this. And after awhile, she realized that she needed this. She needed Beast Boy completely. It was selfish, yes, but she couldn't handle this without him. She knew she didn't need to give herself to him, but she wanted to. She wanted to know what it was like to have him kiss her tenderly, to have his mind filled with thoughts of her, and her only, to know that she was the one to give him pleasure. She wanted this.

Raven turned her head to him and her mouth curved in a genuine smile. "I'm sure."

He smiled gently before leaning in to kiss her.

* * *

Yay! I'm so happy! I finally posted a chapter that's near perfect! My beta-reader is so darned cool! Thank you so much, Snea! I am so happy now. But, anyway, I don't think I'll do a sex scene between Raven and Beast Boy, but if I get enough reviews saying that they want it, I guess I could…but I don't know. It all depends on what you want. Either way is fine with me. But…uh…well, I have nothing else to say…so, hope you enjoyed it and until next time! 


	33. Chapter Thirty Two: January 20th

I am so sorry that it took so long for me to write this. Not only did I have the worse case of writer's block, but also everything in my life went haywire. My computer had a bad case Spyware and wouldn't let me do anyting, my electricity got turned off because of the stupid neighbor's tree that knocked our box down, and school started. Jeez. I thought I would pull my hair out by then. But I got over the writer's block, and here it the chapter. I don't know if it's that good, because of the WB, but it don't matter. At least I have posted something. Lol. But I hope you enjoy this. And I'm sure that all of you know that I posted the lemon separately, but incase not, reread what I just wrote. Dude, I am so tired… But this chapter is boring. I shall warn you now. So…yeah, but the most boring things usually lead to the most exciting.

This is just for those of you who love me dearly and wish to know about what went on whilst I was having these problems. () I have become totally obsessed with Fruits Basket! I have the entire anime on DVD, and ordered the mangas 1-12. I am now an obsessive, hard-core fan of Tohru/Kyo. And I must say, that if Tohru ends up with Yuki, I will forever hate Natsuki Takaya and I will cry for the rest of my days. But from what I read in spoilers, it looks good for Kyo and Tohru! Yippee! So, yeah, I have found another cartoon couple to obsess over…dude, I need a life…

* * *

Robin stared out the window, watching the rain pelt the ground as he brushed his fingers absentmindedly through the toddler's hair. It had taken him hours to calm the boy after telling him that Starfire was gone. He didn't have the heart to tell the little boy that his mother had also been taken, knowing that Starfire was gone was crushing enough against his little heart.

Christian whimpered in his sleep, his body curling into a ball. Robin had thrown a pillow across his lap and let the little boy sleep there, since he wouldn't sleep in his crib, and Robin had no intention of sleeping in Starfire's bed.

So he was sitting on the window seat, feet propped up and a dozing toddler bundled in his lap. Robin leaned his head against the wall. It was no mystery now. He was desperately in love with Starfire. Hell, he had always been in love with her, from the moment he laid eyes on her.

In a way, she had had him at hello (or 'greetings, earth human'). Her innocence had captivated him. No one on earth could compare to her smile, her beauty, her mind. She was perfect, if not a little too optimistic.

Christian's body shuddered beneath the blanket. Robin immediately laid a large hand on the boy's side, and all trembling ceased as he gave a content sigh. The poor boy. Starfire had been like a mother to him and she had been snatched away from under him.

This time, the guilt was so strong that Robin could barely breath. God, he needed her. He needed to hear her laugh again, to hear her say his name. He just wanted her. He could take her hating him as long as he could just look at her.

Wyatt's voice rang inside his head. "_What I'm really trying to get out is that hurting her was pointless. It didn't help a damn thing, and instead of being there to protect her like I should have done, I let my weakness get the better of me and stayed in the background. You don't know what you have until you lose it."_

God, how right he had been. Everything Wyatt had said mirrored Robin's problems. Not only had he lost Starfire, but he had hurt her for no reason. It didn't even make sense now that he thought about it. He had been afraid to get close to anyone, yes, but that never meant he had to hurt her. He could have told the truth, and they could have worked it out together. But now she was gone, and he had no idea how to get her back.

Robin jerked when his doorbell rang. Who the hell would be visiting him at this hour? Robin carefully lifted the toddler from his lap and laid him down on the couch that was only a few feet from the window seat. Thankfully, the bell didn't wake Christian.

Robin undid countless locks before he threw open the door, prepared to curse the person to oblivion. But his words died as he faced a ragged Twain. Blinking, Robin stepped aside to let the detective in.

And then it hit him. He was going to tell Robin that Starfire had been murdered. Robin felt his heart stop in his chest. Oh God. It was too late. Starfire was gone and he would never be able to tell her—

"Don't jump to conclusions, kid," Twain said quietly, his eyes adjusting to the dark room. "I just came to tell you that Darcy was murdered."

Robin snapped out of his agony quickly. "What?"

Twain sighed quietly, his eyes on Christian. "I think we need to talk in private. Is there some place that you can drop the kid off?"

It took some time for Robin to finally answer him. Why the hell did Twain want to drop Christian off? "I can always put him in his crib—"

"Is there a place you can drop the kid off?" Twain repeated slowly as if he were talking to a toddler.

Robin clenched his jaw. "Maybe Raven and—"

"No. Somewhere else."

What the hell? Why was it so important for him to drop Christian off? Robin was never one to beat around the bush, so he snapped, "Why are you so desperate to get rid of the kid?"

Twain stuffed his hands into his pockets. "We're going to the woods where Hannah was found and you can't let the kid stay here alone. I'll be damned if I have to baby-sit."

"I thought you already searched the woods," Robin remarked, but he was already lifting the toddler in his arms.

"We had to go through the judge and we couldn't get a warrant. So I'm breaking the law and going there with you."

Confused, Robin asked, "Why would you need a warrant to search through woods?"

Twain sighed deeply. "The woods belong to the mayor, and he forbid us to trespass. The judge is an old friend of the bastards, so he followed his orders. Not even threats to ruin his reputation fazed him. He said no one would believe a 'kid's' word against his. Hell, I'm thirty-two. I am _not_ a kid. "

"But…would that mean the mayor is the White Rose Killer?"

"I don't know. It seems too damn suspicious. I have a feeling he's hiding something in those woods. So take the kid to someone and we'll check it out."

Robin quickly grabbed his keys and followed. Why wasn't the mayor allowing a search? Was he hiding something?

They took Robin's car since it had a car seat and headed for the tower. He hated to just push Christian onto Bumblebee and Cyborg, but it was all he could do. He planned on searching those woods thoroughly.

"Are you going to tell me about Darcy?" Robin asked quietly.

"Your friend found her hanging from the ceiling, stomach slit open, and a white rose in her mouth."

"Friend? Raven? Beast Boy? Who found her? Are they okay? Where are they?"

Twain chuckled lightly. "You sound like a detective, kid. But it was the dark one who found her first."

"Is she okay?" Robin's stomach clenched in worry. Was Raven alright? How did she take it? And where was Beast Boy?

"She went into shock for awhile, but they gave her a sedative to get her to sleep. The green one had Darcy thrown on him, but he took it pretty well. Guess he was too worried about the dark one."

"Jesus. Are they at a hotel or…"

"I guess. Logan didn't call and tell which one, though."

Robin gnawed on his lip. Damn. Too many things were happening at once. With Starfire missing he was practically wallowing in pain, but now, on top of that, he was worried about Raven and Beast Boy. He really hoped that this bloody adventure didn't drive him to insanity.

"After you dump the kid off, I wanna drop by my place, alright?"

"For what?"

"Just…stop by there."

Robin threw a wary glance at the detective before he pulled into the underground parking lot beneath the tower. After doing a DNA scan, Robin walked into the tower. A wave of homesickness washed over him. He had really missed this place.

"I thought that he was supposed to be staying with a fellow officer?" Twain stated, eyeing the inside of the large T-shaped tower.

"After Starfire's wreck, he came back home, knowing that there was nothing he could do. And anyway, he said he was going to have a nervous breakdown if he didn't leave."

Twain walked behind him, Christian cuddled in his arms. "Shouldn't you…alert them or something?"

Robin glanced behind his shoulder, fingers moving rapidly over the keyboard that would lead him to the elevator once he keyed in the code. "I'll just knock on his door when I get up there."

"Whatever." Twain's eyes narrowed against the darkness. Going to the woods would be risky, because if he were caught, he would either be arrested or fired. But now the consequences didn't matter. The mayor was hiding something and he was going to find out what it was.

"Come on, we don't have all night." Twain glanced up to see the teenaged superhero already in the large elevator. Twain glared, stepping inside with him. "You've got a real attitude, kid."

"So what?" Robin lifted his eyes to Twain before they shifted to the ground.

"It'll get you into serious trouble, you know that?"

"It's already gotten me into trouble," Robin muttered, roughly shoving his hands into his pockets. "Star's gone because of it."

"Then why don't you lose it? I promise that if you don't, you'll seriously regret it."

Robin's eyes narrowed into slits. "Are you threatening me?"

"It's advice. Stop reading so deep into things, kid. I'm just saying that if you don't lose your 'I'm-better-than-everyone-around-me' act, you're going to lose a lot more than just your girlfriend."

Before Robin could snap back at Twain, the elevator doors opened. "Jesus, didn't you install light in this thing?"

Robin ignored him and stepped into the pitch-black hallway. Even without a light, he knew exactly where he was and where to go. "Follow me," Robin muttered, already marching forward.

"Can't you turn on a bloody light or something so I don't run into a wall and hurt the kid!"

Robin paused. He would have been thrilled to let Twain run headfirst into a wall, but he wasn't going to involve Christian into it.

"Give me the kid," Robin said, holding out his arms.

"No way. If I do, you won't turn on a light and I'll smack into a wall."

Robin growled deep in his throat. "The only way to turn on a light is to go back down stairs and I want to get to the woods quickly so we can get this over with and I can look for Starfire."

Twain muttered something under his breath, reaching a hand out and grabbing the back of Robin's loose shirt.

"What do you think you're doing?" Robin snapped, trying to jerk from the man's grasp.

Twain snorted. "I'm going to let you lead the way so I don't run into any walls, so stop being a baby and get to walking."

Robin clenched his fist and marched forward, grounding his teeth. "Stupid, no good piece of—"

"Watch the language, buddy. I think the kid is awake."

Robin broke off. "Give me Christian."

"Why?"

"You can still hold on to the back of my shirt, but I want to see him, so hand him over."

Robin heard Twain sigh and let go of the back of his shirt. "Here." Robin held out his arms and had to feel around before he could grab Christian. Making sure he wasn't touching any part of Twain, Robin took Christian into his arms.

"Where are we?" Christian asked sleepily.

"Cyborg and Bumblebee are going to watch you tonight."

"Why?" Christian cried his voice laced with fright. It threw Robin off.

"Are you scared of Cyborg?" He asked.

"Inna stay with you!" Christian howled, burring his head against Robin's shoulder. "I don't want you to leave me alone."

Robin blinked. "I…I won't be gone long."

"Inna go with you!"

Christian wrapped his arms around Robin's neck tightly when he tried to out him down. "Christian…"

"I don't wanna be left alone!"

"But Cyborg and Bumblebee are here—"

"No! No! No! No! No! N—"

"Kid, we might find Starfire while we're gone. And if you're there we won't be able to help."

Both child and teenager froze. "You think Starfire's there?" Robin asked, surprised.

"That's why we're going, to see if my hunch is correct. But we can't do it with the kid."

Robin managed to peel the child's arms from around his neck and set him on his feet, though he took his hand. Could Twain be right? Was Starfire somewhere within the forest? Was it possible that he would get her back tonight?

He swore that of he did find her, he would literally beg for forgiveness and hope for the best. Robin stood before Cyborg's door, fist poised above the metal, when it suddenly opened, revealing one glowing red eye.

Christian screamed and Robin jerked back in surprise. Twain cursed in shocked horror, his hand automatically reaching for the gun at his hip.

"Whoa, hold it there, bud. Don't shoot." Cyborg held up a hand and flicked on the light in his room. Robin blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the sudden light.

"How did you know we were here?"

"Security system. It alerts me when ever someone types in the code."

At Robin's confused look, Cyborg added, "After Terra betrayed us, I installed it so I would be able to know if she was breaking in. I just never uninstalled it."

"Oh." Robin blinked, glancing down at Christian, who was clutching onto his hand as if it were his last lifeline. "Do you think you can watch Christian?"

"What's going on?" Cyborg's eyes lifted to Robin's in confusion. "Where are you going?"

Robin sighed, lifting Christian in his arms so he could hand him to Cyborg. "Where's Bumblebee?" He asked, avoiding Cyborg's question.

"She's sleeping. Now why are you coming here at three in the morning and dropping him off? Is this about Starfire?"

Robin cringed slightly, avoiding eye contact. Behind him, Twain sighed. "Remember the woods that Hannah Carson was found?"

"Yeah. I thought that you couldn't get a warrant?"

Twain eyes narrowed. "How did you know that?"

Cyborg's real eye widened as he stuttered, "I, uh, kinda sorta hacked into your computers…" He laughed nervously, then cleared his throat. "So you're going to trespass? That's illegal."

"We know," Robin said softly, "but if there's a chance that Starfire may be there, I'm willing to suffer the consequences."

Cyborg propped Christian on his hip as he walked out the door. Twain and Robin followed him.

"Where are you going?" Twain asked with his hands outstretched in the darkness to make sure he didn't have any collision with the wall.

"You are going to sit down at tell me everything, 'cause until I know exactly what you're up to, I'm not watching the kid."

"Cyborg—"

"Robin, this is important, and you are going to tell me what's going on. If this involves Starfire, I have a right to know. Not only is she a teammate, but a member of my family, blood connections be damned."

Robin sighed, knowing good and well that once Cyborg had made up his mind, there was no changing it. Once in the main room, Cyborg pressed a button, lighting up the entire room in a bright glow. Twain blinked at the sudden shift in color.

After his eyes adjusted, Twain studied the room, his eyes finally landing on the couch. "I see you fixed it."

Cyborg grinned, plopping down on the couch after sitting Christian down. "We have plenty of spares in the basement."

Confused, Twain opened his mouth to ask why, but Robin said, "We need to hurry. I want to get this done before the sun rises." Robin sat down beside Cyborg, gnawing on his lip.

Twain sat beside him, though a good distance away, as Cyborg asked, "What makes you think Star's there?"

"I'm sure you already know that the mayor owns the forest, right?" At Cyborg's nod, Twain continued. "When we tried to get a warrant to search the woods that Hannah had been found, the judge said no. The mayor forbid us to step four feet into there."

Cyborg blinked. "So…why do you think Starfire's there?"

Twain sighed. "Let me just get to the point."

Robin shifted in his seat, anxious to get to the woods where Starfire might be. "That would be nice."

Ignoring him, Twain said, "I don't…know if she's there. But I have to think that she is. Why would the mayor not allow us to search it unless he has something to hide? It would be the only reason. And now, it's our only lead. I know that you can't just sit and wait around, so I figured that you'd want to search the only place we think she might be."

Cyborg sighed, watching Christian as he scurried off to search the large room. "I don't know about this, man. I mean it's illegal, and you don't even know if she is there. What if it's a dead lead? What if you find nothing, or get caught? Did you ever think that if you are caught, you'll never be able to save her in time?"

Robin's heart clenched. Of course he had thought of that scenario. Hell, he had thought of every possible scenario. But…he was willing to risk everything, even if it was hopeless. There was a chance that there was nothing in those woods…yet there was a chance that she was there. Waiting. Hoping. Hating him for not protecting her. Yes. He was willing to risk everything.

Robin glanced away, bowing his head so that his hair shielded his eyes from Cyborg's view. "I know. But I have to try, even if it ends up going horribly wrong. I have to do something: For her. I've let her down too much, and this is the only way I can think to make it up to her."

Cyborg studied Robin's profile, his eyes dark with worry. Robin had been in a state of depression ever since he came home from the dance with his arms empty. Cyborg had said nothing when he watched Robin walked into the apartment alone, thinking, praying desperately that maybe Starfire was with Jonathan. But one look at Robin's face told him otherwise. Somehow, Starfire had slipped from the Boy Wonder's grasp and landed in the White Rose Killer's lap, and Robin was blaming himself. Cyborg didn't ask why, or how. He didn't need to know. All that matter was that she was gone. So he had herded Bumblebee away. And somehow, she had figured it out as well.

Twain watched as Christian plucked the remote off the ground and pressed the buttons. "Now that you know, we better be heading off. We're wasting valuable time talking."

Still watching the ground, Robin asked, "So will you watch him?"

"Yeah," Cyborg said. He had a feeling something was going to go wrong, but he couldn't stop his friend. No one could now. Cyborg watched the two men rise. It was strange, watching Robin now. He had…grown up in the time that he had been away from the tower. No longer was he a stubborn teenager, but a man who knew what it was like to be in the real world. Cyborg didn't know what to think of Robin anymore. He didn't know if the sudden change was good, or horrible.

"I have a few gadgets that you might want." Cyborg said softly.

"What type of gadgets?" Twain asked curiously, dark brow raised.

Cyborg smiled. "Follow me."

* * *

Ten minutes later, Twain and Robin walked out of the tower, loaded with night-ray goggles and flashlights. Twain scowled at the slim device. "Why do we have flashlights when we have night ray goggles?"

Robin shrugged. "I just took what he handed me."

Twain sighed, chunking everything in the backseat while ignoring Robin's scowl. "You could break them, you know."

"So?"

Robin bit back a sigh. "So how do you plan to see without them?"

"If they break then I'll just use yours."

Robin ground his teeth in aggravation, but chose not to say anything. "I'm going to drive," Twain said as Robin opened the driver side door. Robin glared. "Why?"

"'Cause I know where my house is and you don't."

Robin ground his teeth together. "Fine."

Silently, Robin climbed into the passenger seat, leaning his forehead against the cool window. What if Starfire wasn't there? What if she was somewhere else, and he didn't find her in time? What if…what ifs seemed to be his only thinking now that she was gone. It didn't help anything. It didn't help find Starfire, so it seemed pointless. All it did was waste his time, when he should be looking for her.

Robin slowly slid his eyes to Twain. "Can I…ask you a question?" Robin asked softly, so softly that Twain almost didn't catch it.

"Uh, I guess." Twain watched the young man from the corner of his eye, confused by the sudden soft tone.

"You're married, right?"

Lex blinked slowly, taking his eyes away from the deserted road long enough to study the teenaged hero.

"Yeah. Got one kid and two on the way."

"How…how did you know that you loved her?"

"Kid, what the hell—"

"Please," Robin said timidly, jerking his eyes to Twain's. "I just…it's just for conversation." He finally said with a sigh. "I mean, if you want to stay quiet, then that's fine with me, because I just—"

"You're blabbering, kid," Twain replied softly. Then, he sighed. "Truthfully, I hated her at first. We both hated each other. My first partner was getting old in age, but he was my best friend, so when he retired, I was a tad bit bitter. While I was still brooding, they paired me up with a woman. I did the whole a-woman-can't-do-a-man's-job. But damn, she could outshoot any man, could solve a case with minimal clues, and had the body of a runner. So of course I was jealous, though I didn't admit it. She was…perfect. She could do everything better than I could. They thought about replacing me for a while, because she was that damn good. But we were put on one of the hardest cases of all. She couldn't figure anyting out at first, because the killer never left any clues, save for the bodies.

"The victims had been all women. So, I guess, she was more involved because of it. She would stay up all night, just flipping through the slim file. At the time, I had loved to see her so frazzled. Well, at least I had at first. But she would obsess over it and I got kinda worried. So I asked why. She had just glared at me and walked away. I didn't ask her again. But somehow, she got a lead. I don't know how Kate did it, but she did. So when we were driving up there, she told me softly that her mother had been murdered, which was why she was so obsessed. It had been her father that had murdered her. I know, I know, it seems…stupid. I mean, how can you fall in love with a woman when she tells you that her father murdered her mother? I thought it was strange, too. I had never been in love before, so it was all strange to me."

"So you never dated before?" Robin asked, trying to add some humor into the conversation. Twain glared. "Of course I dated before. Bunches of times."

"So what were you, a man whore?" Robin had to chuckle at Twain's bright blush and angry growl. "Do you want to hear this or not?"

"Fine."

Twain glared. "Okay then. Uh…well, we had to stakeout outside the building we thought was the one, and, uh, we, uh…talked for the first time."

"That's not some hidden word for sex, is it?" Robin laughed when Twain flushed once again.

"Jesus, and they call me a pervert. No, it's not a hidden meaning. We never talked when we were together, only threw insults and complaints at each other. It was the first time we had said more than a dozen words to each other. And I found out a lot about her. Like her first love, and what she dreamed of, why she became a police officer, things like that. I have to say that I was…normal. I mean I didn't have any hidden secrets, or things that I kept hidden. My parents were divorced and of course I went through the whole punk act because they didn't spend much time with me. But…she had always had it hard. I mean, with her father murdering her mother, and her being shoved into an orphanage…I had to respect her."

"This is getting no where," Robin said suddenly. "I mean…why, how, how did you know? Was it just…there? Or what?"

Robin was surprised when Twain's fingers gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. "We had found his hideout. We had gathered an entire force to take him down, but only Katelynn and I went inside. And…he shot her. Almost killed her. It was the first time I killed a man. But that didn't register until later. I, uh…literally cried when I held her. Love isn't something that just happens. It grows with time. At first, I didn't realized what was happening. I thought it was a bout of lust, desire maybe. But then…I was covered in her blood, and everything seemed to change. Don't look at me like that," Twain muttered, his cheeks flaming red. "I know it seems like something you would find in a romance novel, but it happened. I almost lost her, and I found that I couldn't handle being without her. Now, why are you asking me all this?"

Robin once again stared out the window. "It seems that everyone had loved and lost. I mean, Wyatt pushed Mallory away, and she almost died, and now you." He sighed. "Is this some sort of sign aimed at me? I…I never really let myself love anyone, not since my parents died. With my mentor…well, though I was with him for a while, we never ever became friends. And then…the titans were formed. And I met her. I had always been attracted to her. I mean, she was so innocent, so carefree. She was the only one who saw past my mask, the only one who saw me. And she loved me for it. I lead her on. I let her think that there could be something between us, then tore her down."

Robin's shoulders stiffened when Twain asked, "Kid…why are you telling me all this?" His tone was soft, but Robin felt the burning sensation of humiliation. "Never mind. It was…just forget it."

"Now hold on a sec, kid. I'm just not used to you being so willing to talk. You seem like the kind who swerves away from conversations. I was just a bit thrown off. It's not that I don't want to hear you, it's just…unusual."

Robin's jaw clenched. "I…Starfire was really the only one I would talk to, but she's…gone. And I just need to get it off my chest. I didn't realize how much I do need to talk until…but never mind. Just forget it."

"Damn, kid, look—"

"Stop calling me kid," Robin snapped, folding his arm across his chest and slouching the seat. "I'm _not_ a kid."

"Alright, Mr. I'm-not-a-kid," Twain drawled sarcastically. "I, uh…want to hear what you have to say."

It took Robin a moment before Twain's declaration sunk in. When it did, his golden orbs widened. "Are you serious? Wait, you're being a jerk, aren't you? You're making fun of me because—"

"Jeez, you take thing way too seriously." Twain sighed, his left foot taping against the floor. "I never got to have to talks with my parents and—"

Robin cut him off. "But I thought you said that you had a happy life."

"I did…but my father was always buried beneath paperwork or dealing with meetings, while my mother was too engrossed with her new husband. And then my little brother came along, and she forgot I existed. But that's not the point. Since I didn't have any one to talk to, I got into crap and things like that, so, yeah. But I know what it's like to not be able to talk. And…I'm willing to listen, if you'll talk."

Robin studied Twain's profile. "You're being too nice. Why?"

Twain's black eyes narrowed. "Because. You…remind me of how I was when I was growing up. And that's not a good thing."

Robin bristled. "What does that mean?"

"Stupid kid. That's what you are, you know. Stupid. But before you get all pissy, let me finish. You won't let any one near you, and when someone does get close, you shove them away. Sound familiar?"

Robin slouched down further into his seat and grunted. Twain rolled his eyes. "So…really. I don't mind listening."

"I…"

Twain sighed. "Don't worry about it. If you're not ready to talk, then far be it for me to force you." Twain flipped on the windshield wipers as the rain drifted from the sky.

Robin plowed a hand through his unruly hair, but left it there, his trademark scowl slowly softening. But still, he stayed quiet, watching the landscape from the car window.

Lex bit back a yawn, blinking rapidly to clear his vision. Damn, but he was exhausted. He hadn't had a decent nights sleep since the damn White Rose Killer made his appearance. Oh, how he missed the days where normal hours of sleep could not be counted on one hand.

"I love her."

Twain blinked slowly, his eyes briefly studying Robin. His eyes were unseeing as he stared out the window, arms loosely folded over his chest. "But she thinks that I don't want her. She's gone and has no idea about how I feel, and it's my entire fault. I pushed her away because…you know…I don't _know_ why I pushed her away. At first, I thought I was protecting her from me. But that wasn't the reason. And then it was because I was afraid of letting anyone close. But…I'm worse off alone. Without her…I'm useless. Without her…damnit, why did I have to hurt her? I didn't even have a reason."

"People do stupid things when they're in love, kid." Twain said softly. "I did, you did, everyone has. You just have to know when to fix it when the time comes. I know she's gone right now, but as long as you believe that you'll find her and tell her yourself, everything will work out."

Robin cleared his throat gently. "I guess." Suddenly, he sat up in his seat and threw a smirk in Twain's direction. "Since when have you become such a advisor?"

At first, Twain was thrown off by the teen's sudden change in attitude. But he quickly adjusted. "Yeah, don't get used to it. I don't normally do it."

"That's a good thing," Robin joked with a small laugh. "But thank you." He added softly, once again staring out the window.

"No problem, kid."

Not long after their conversation, Twain pulled into a long, paved driveway. Robin blinked at the large, two story house with small flowerbed beneath the windows. "It's…not like you at all," Robin finally admitted, cocking his head as he climbed out of his car.

Twain snorted. "Its Kate's doing. I would have never thought that a tomboy such as her would love flowers and things so much."

Suddenly, the front door slammed open and a pretty, very pregnant, blonde, stormed out. "Alexander Twain, where the hell have you been? You don't just waltz out of this house without…oh…" her voice trailed off when she spotted Robin. She blinked, her eyes on Twain. "Who is he?"

Twain sighed. "Kate, you need to be in bed."

She glared at him. "No. I couldn't sleep so get over it." She slowly waddled down the stairs, clad in large, bright pink pajamas, and stood in front of Robin. She was only of medium height, with big green eyes and a small scar across her bottom lip. She suddenly grinned, holding out a small hand. "I'm Katelynn, Lex's wife. And you are…?"

Robin hesitantly took her hand. "I'm Robin. I, uh, am—"

"Part of the Titans. You much more handsome than I thought." Robin blushed, but Kate only laughed. "Why don't you come inside? You're friends are still sleeping upstairs—"

"Kate, we need to go," Twain said softly, stepping forward to press a hand against her back. She glared, but it held less heat than before.

"Go where? You're not going to do something stupid, are you?"

Lex rubbed the back of his head, avoiding his wife's eyes. "Look, we just need to get a few things and head—"

"Guns, flashlights, and dark clothes are on the table." Both men blinked.

"Guns?" Robin repeated slowly.

"Huh?" Twain was completely lost at his wife's proclamation.

Kate just sighed, folding her arms against her chest. "Stupid…Lex, you made a to-do list and left it on the table. It wasn't hard to figure out what you planned on doing. So, I waited up for you in hopes that you would come back." Her dark green eyes softened. "Alexander…you could lose your job if you're caught trespassing."

He shrugged, eyes downcast. "I know."

"Yet you want this?"

Robin blushed and turned away quickly when Twain leaned down to kiss his wife softly. That was _not_ something that he needed to see. When he thought it was safe, Robin slowly turned back around. Twain rested his forehead against his wife's, his arms around her.

Robin cocked his head away from them, not wanting to interfere with their…snuggling.

"Will you still be here if I do lose my job?" He heard Twain asked softly and Robin suppressed a groan. He really shouldn't be here, with them having a tender moment. It was just…not right. But then again, the two lovebirds didn't seem to mind that he was there anyway…

"Idiot," she chided softly. "I'm carrying your children. Of course I'll still be here." Robin heard a sniff and had to wonder if it was Twain's wife or Twain…it had to be the wife. There was no way that Lex Twain would cry, especially with Robin standing not six feet away.

Robin dug the toe of his shoes into the ground, fighting the urge to rock back and forth. Truthfully, he shouldn't be embarrassed. It was a normal, every day thing to be in love and show it in public. _I never showed Starfire any signs of love_.

Before Robin could sink into depression at his thought, Twain grabbed the back of his jacket and literally pulled him into the front hallway. "God, you're slower than I am."

"There's no need to insult me," Robin snapped, digging his heels into the ground so he could jerk out of Twain's grasp.

Twain cursed and grabbed the back of his shirt even tighter. "Are you _trying_ to wake everyone up?"

Lex's wife chuckled softly. "Uh, the two kids are probably already up. They're in the guest room playing tonsil hokey."

Twain froze. "Are you trying to tell me that they're having underage sex and _you're allowing it_?"

Kate only laughed harder. "Pervert. No, they're not having sex, just kissing. That's all that they've done. Relax, old man. You're old ears won't be bothered tonight."

"Why are they even in the same room?"

"Because, I think they need to be."

Twain had the insane urge to slam his forehead against the wall. "Katelynn…did you ever think that they just might let things get out of hand?"

Kate waved her hand like it was not an important matter. "Don't worry. Everything's under control. I talked to them before I let them in the same room. And anyway, the door is wide open and I told them that Connor is in the room next to them and if they do anything that might disturb them, I would arrest them both for underage sex. Connor will tell me if he hears any strange noises."

Twain tripped, but easily regained his balance. "Are you daft, woman? You left my child next to romping teenagers?"

"They're not romping, and don't call me daft, jackass."

"I wouldn't if you weren't so stupid. God, I can't believe you—"

"Alexander," Kate said slowly, the threat hanging in the air though it was never said. "Get your things, change, and leave."

Robin wondered what Twain looked like about now, seeing as he couldn't see the older man's face. Robin was suddenly jerked to his feet and standing next to Twain, who, miraculously, looked frightened. Oh, the power of women.

"Now," Twain's wife continued, "I laid everything out here on the table, so all you have to do is change."

Robin walked to the large, mahogany dining table, quickly studying the accessories. His gold eyes studied the black guns with apprehension. "Why do you have guns laid out like this?"

Kate blinked. "Oh, well, incase you run into something. It's always good to be armed when going into unknown territory."

"Do you think that we'll actually need them?" Robin grimaced. He hated guns. Loathed them with a deadly passion. He always had, since he had been but a mere child. There was no reason behind his hate; save that it was the only real weapon in this day in time that could kill. Yes, there were thousands of weapons like that, but a gun was the most common used. And he had dealt with being held at gunpoint more times then he liked to admit. It came with the territory of being a Teen Titan.

"I don't know, but I would sleep better knowing that both of you were protected."

Robin watched at Twain picked up the weapon with skilled ease. The gun seemed to fit perfectly into the detective's hand.

"You've killed people with that thing, haven't you?" Robin asked quietly. Both Twain and his wife stiffened and Robin flinched. He suddenly remembered what Twain had told him earlier. Twain had killed the man who injured his wife.

Twain said nothing as he laid the firearm down on the table and picked up the folded clothes. He chunked them at Robin, who caught it with ease. "Get changed and hurry up. We only have a couple of hours before sunup."

"Follow me," Kate ordered quietly, her back ramrod straight. Robin gnawed on his lower lip as he followed the pregnant woman. It was fine if he made Twain uncomfortable, but his wife was a different story.

"I'm sorry about asking that. I didn't mean any harm. Twain told me what happened, and I was stupid and…I'm sorry."

Tension slowly eased from her shoulders. "Don't worry about it. It was a long time ago."

Robin stared at the floor. "I didn't mean to bring up painful memories, Mrs. Twain. I usually speak without thinking."

She sighed. "Really, don't worry about it. It's just that Lex is sensitive about that. He knows he had to, but it's painful, knowing you took another's life. But lets no worry about that now."

Now uncomfortable around the woman, Robin kept his eyes on the floor, never even lifting them when Mrs. Twain said, "You can change in here. Since you're taller than Lex, the pants might be a tad bit short, but it'll be dark and you won't be able to notice."

Robin walked into the small bathroom, plopping down on the toilet and jerked off his shoes. Why did he even have to open his big mouth in the first place? It hadn't even been any of his business. Twain had already told him that it had been the first time he killed a man, yet Robin had to be an idiot and ask '_you've killed people with this thing, haven't you'_? Stupid.

Robin sighed as he worked the tight black sweater over his head. He noticed quickly that he was wider in the shoulder area, for the shirt stretched tightly over his chest, almost to where it was uncomfortable. Robin regarded the pants with a scowl, deciding that he would keep his dark jeans on. It was close enough to black.

Robin jerked his shoes back on and walked out of the room, only to have something slapped on his head. His eyes momentarily crossed as he stared at the bill of a cap, but he pushed it up quickly to see Twain leaning against the wall.

"What's this for?" Robin asked, taking the hat off to study it. It was a simple black, with an Orange County Chopper logo across the front.

"It's raining, not snowing, and it'll be easier to see with that covering your eyes from the rain. Although the ground is covered in snow…damn…maybe it won't matter."

"Oh," Robin said simply, smoothing back his unruly hair so he could slap the hat on. "You ready?"

Twain nodded, grabbing his cap and sliding it on. "Yeah. We need to load up on the weapons, though."

Robin remembered the guns and cringed. "I don't have to carry one, do I?"

Twain rolled his eyes. "Awh, is the little Boy Wonder scared of an itty-bitty gun?"

Robin bit back a cruel retort, instead lowering his head so that the baseball cap hid his flaming eyes. "I don't use guns."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Unless you want a kitchen knife, you're stuck with the gun. That is, unless you want to go defenseless."

"I can take care of myself. I can use martial art better than most humans. I've trained with the best."

"Alright, Mr. Macho, whatever you say. Now lets get everything together an head to the forest."

Robin scowled but it died when Mrs. Twain came into view. "Oh, you both look so darned handsome!" Kate squealed, laughing gleefully. "My, my, if I weren't married and if it wasn't illegal, I'd be all over you, Robin."

Robin blushed heavily while Twain growled. "We're leaving, Katelynn." Twain muttered, sulking and turning on his heel.

Kate laughed. "And they say that pregnant women are easily offended."

Twain ignored her, slipping his gun into his shoulder holster. He eyed the other firearm blandly. "You sure you don't want it, just in case?"

"No. Anyway, I don't have a license to carry one, and if we were caught, I'd be thrown in jail."

"Whatever." Twain's mood seemed to plummet when he realized the kid was right. What was wrong with him? Why the hell had he not thought of that? And he was supposed to be one of the best. Lex sighed, snatching the flashlight off the table.

"Let's go. We don't have much more time before the sun rises." Robin grudgingly followed the older man out of the house, but paused when Kate darted past him. He blinked rapidly. Damn, for a pregnant woman, she sure was fast. Kate called out Twain's name, and before he could turn around, his wife was throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him.

Robin glanced away, but without a blush. Instead, the corners of his mouth lifted. What would it feel like to have someone love you so dearly…damn. He had known what it had felt like, but he had ignored it. And now, he couldn't remember how it had felt when Starfire had shown her love to him so clearly. She had shown him love, but he ignored it. Robin felt the despair wash over him, but refused to succumb to it. Becoming depressed would not help matters any. He could hate himself later, but now, he had to find Starfire.

When he glanced back up, Robin found Twain grinning down at his wife. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but Kate laughed and swatted her husband's shoulder. When she pulled away, Twain called out, "Let's go. I want to get this over with so I can sleep. Oh, and Kate, you better check on those two kids."

Kate rolled her eyes as she walked back into the house, shutting the door behind her.

Robin heard a door slammed and turned to see Twain already in the car, eyes narrowed impatiently. Wishing there was time to be a smartass, Robin climbed into the vehicle.

It took twenty minutes to get to their destination. The rain was pouring down in sheets, soaking them the minutes they stepped foot onto the mud covered ground.

Slipping on the Night-ray goggles and adjusting them, the two men grabbed the flashlights and ventured into the thick woods. Twain kept his eyes in front of him while Robin searched the ground in search of…anything.

After two grueling hours, Twain and Robin paused, leaning against the trunk of the trees. "Damnit, I can't find anything incriminating."

"All I see is leaves and dirt. This better not have been a bloody wild goose chase, Twain. I am freezing my ass off, and Starfire's not here, so there's no point in staying." Robin sighed, turning so that his back was pressed against the wood and let the back of his head hit the trunk. "She's not here and we're just wasting valuable time." Robin pulled the bill of his cap over his eyes, his body shaking with cold.

"Let's just look a bit longer, alright?"

Robin let his eyes flutter shut. He was exhausted, cold, irritable, and scared half to death. Starfire was not here, so what was the point off—

"What is that?"

Robin's eyes snapped open as he jerked his gaze to Twain, who was peering into the black depths of the wet forest.

"What's what?" Robin asked hopefully, thinking that maybe he had seen some sign that Starfire might be there, but smothered it, figuring the loony detective saw a bird or something.

"Is that a cave?" Twain leaned in further, eyebrows drawn together as he studied the yawning hole in the suffocating darkness. His shoulder's stiffened when he saw something dart out of the hole. Without thinking, Twain grabbed Robin's collar and threw him to the ground, both hitting their stomach.

"What the—"

Twain slapped a hand over the boy's mouth, eyes narrowed as a voice drifted towards him.

"Damn idiot. Can't do anything right." The figure started to curse before it disappeared back into the cavern. Robin's entire body was stiff, as was Twain's. What the hell was going on? Could it be…could they have found the White Rose Killer's hideout? But Twain couldn't jump to conclusions. First, he had to—

"We have to go in there," Robin said quietly, his finger's digging into the wet ground. He knew it could just be a teenager walking, but all of this was too suspicious.

"We can't just go barge in there like idiots, Robin. We need a plan, and backup maybe—"

"But Starfire could be in there." Robin flinched at how pathetic he sounded, but Twain just sighed. "We don't know if she is there, kid. For all we know, that was just a wanderer—"

"Don't move." Twain felt his heart stop when he heard the cocking of a gun. Damn it. "Hands above your heads, now."

Robin's eyes were bright in the gloom as he glanced at Twain. Slowly, hesitantly, Robin placed his palms behind his head, Twain following suit. Robin bit back lewd curses as his arms were jerked behind his back and cold metal handcuffs were secured around his wrists. Damnit all to hell! Of all the times to get caught, it was now. And who the hell would be out here at four in the morning? Had someone known? Followed them? Or was the man they saw a guardian of the woods? Someone that the lowlife mayor had paid to watch his land, to make sure whatever secret he had was not found out, maybe?

Before Robin could finish his thoughts, he was jerked to his feet, his chest being slammed against a tree. His forehead hit the tree hard, tearing the skin, but he was too damn angry to care. Twain was receiving similar attention.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?" The man holding Robin snarled, shoving something hard between Robin's shoulders. Robin couldn't help but role his eyes. Here he was, handcuffed and practically vulnerable, and a man was holding him a gunpoint. Was the man weak or something?

"I could ask you the same question," Twain snapped, gnashing his teeth when something hard struck the back of his head. He bit back a curse. The blow had hurt like hell, but it hadn't been hard enough to knock him out.

"Lex?" He heard someone say, and Robin felt the color drain from his face. He knew that voice. It couldn't…but why would he be here?

"What he hell are you doing here, Waylin?" Lex asked, his voice hard. "Are you…why…were you following us?"

"No, no," Waylin said quickly, releasing Twain. "We…damnit, Lex, what are you doing here?"

Twain turned to face his partner, gently rolling his stiff neck. It pounded painfully and Twain felt a hot trail of blood run down his spine. Damn, what had Waylin hit him with? "I'm trying to save children from the White Rose." Twain said calmly, though his mind was a whirlwind of questions. Why was he here? Was he protecting the mayor, watching the forest? Had he followed him here? But…why?

"Twain…we're going to have to take you downtown," Waylin said softly. "We were ordered to arrest anyone who trespasses—"

"So you are helping him," Twain murmured, his heart clenching. Waylin had always been a good friend to him, but…was he betraying him? No, he wasn't. Waylin was just going his job, nothing more, nothing less. But…it still hurt, knowing that Waylin was protecting a man that might be responsible for almost raping and murdering his daughter.

"Shit, man, you can quite slamming my head against the damn tree!" Robin snapped, jerking his head back so his crown connected with the other man's chin. The man yelped in pain, stumbling backwards. Robin groaned as he head pounded.

"What the hell do you think—?"

"I'm sorry, Twain, but we're have to take you in." Twain said nothing as Waylin lead Robin and him to the police car and herded them into the backseat. Twain let a grim smile rest against his mouth. The last time he had been the one in the backseat was when he was only fourteen, and being herded to Juvenile for the first time. Twain pushed the unhappy thought from his mind and glanced at Robin. The kid's jaw was clenched as he stared out the window. A tiny trickle of blood ran down the middle of his forehead, sliding across the bridge of his nose and drifting to the side. Robin cursed, using his shoulder to wipe off what he could.

"I swear to God I will kill the man who did that."

Twain watched as Waylin climbed into the drivers seat. It might be true that Waylin was protecting the mayor's forest, but it could also be that Waylin had not put everything together. Maybe he didn't think that these woods had anyting to do with the White Rose Killer. That could be it. Waylin had not always been the sharpest tool in the shed when it came to putting two and two together. He was more of a shoot first ask later type of guy.

Robin's eyes narrowed when Waylin's accomplice slithered in. The man was a tall and lanky, with a cocky smile and smug eyes. Just by looking at him, Twain found the officer unbearable.

"Why you cocky little bastard! What right to you have slamming defensive peoples' heads against the wall like that?" Robin roared the minute the man's butt touched the seat. But the man only laughed.

"It's how criminals should be treated." Waylin winced and Twain's eyes narrowed. "You'll get fired mighty fast with an outlook like that."

"And who asked you, old man?" Twain would have loved to reach over and slap the kid until he apologized for calling him old, but he merely sighed. Robin slouched down in his seat, eyes immediately going to the road. What was it with the kid and looking out windows?

Twain knew that Waylin was constantly watching him in the review mirror, but he ignored him. It was…just unnerving, even if Waylin didn't know what he was working for. Hell, not even Twain knew what was going on, but now, blaming the mayor seemed pretty good. The mayor might or might not be the WRK, but it made no difference. It was all to damn suspicious for Twain's taste.

When his office building came into view, Twain smothered a groan. It seemed that in just a few seconds, he future would probably change drastically.

* * *

Where could she be? Raven sighed, scooting her body closer to Beast Boy's. She had seen what Starfire had, but nothing registered. A cave, maybe, but where were caves located in Jump City? Was it even a cave? Shit.

She bit her lip, resting her curled fist beneath her chin while she watched Beast Boy sleep. It was…strange, knowing that she and Beast Boy were now lovers. She felt different, of course, but in more than just body. She felt…happy. Raven tilted her head to the side at her internal proclamation. And having sex for the first time was not what made her happy. It was the fact that Beast Boy was hers. In body, mind, heart…she knew Beast Boy loved her. He didn't have to tell her. He _showed_ her. Her protected her, sheltered her, made her feel human. No one had ever done that to her. No one had ever made her fell like she could be something.

Raven sat up slowly, curling her legs beneath her as she watched his chest rise and fall. It was amazing how one person could change something so quickly. Raven had always believed that she was worthless, an evil half-breed being controlled by another. But now, she felt clean. Pure. Her heart and blood felt less tainted, more human. Raven sighed, reaching out to trace Beast Boy's cheekbone with her knuckles. His skin was warm and soft beneath her fingers.

Raven let her fingers slid down his jaw, pausing to run her nail across his full bottom lip, and tap it against his fang lightly. He stirred, but stayed asleep. She sighed, letting her eyes travel to the alarm clock. It wasn't even six o'clock yet. She was exhausted from Beast Boy's constant attention, but she couldn't sleep, not now, when she could maybe contact Starfire.

She brushed her lips across Beast Boy's before she climbed out of the bed, completely nude and cold as hell. She grabbed Beast Boy discarded shirt and slipped it on, along with his boxers. Raven walked to the fireplace, where she sat down, Indian style, and glanced behind her to make sure he was still sleeping. He was sprawled out like a child, snuggling with a pillow. Raven rolled her eyes before slipping them shut.

With a deep sigh, Raven willed her body to relax. She had only done this once before in her life, when she had seen through Robin's eyes when he had been the only one to see Slade. Now it was Star's turn.

Raven rolled her neck and shoulders, her mind reaching out to Star's. _Starfire?_ _Can you hear me?_

_Please tell me I am not losing my mind and hearing voices, _came Starfire's voice, drifting through her mind and seeming to wrap around her heart. Raven let out a sigh, her lips curving in mild amusement.

_You're not losing your mind, Star. It's me, Raven. I want to see through your eyes. Maybe I can figure out where you are. _

Starfire snorted, _I cannot move. I am paralyzed, though I can feel everything. I just can't move my arms, or head, only my mouth and eyes. But I have yet to figure out where I am by studying the ceiling. But Raven, I think he is targeting Hannah and Harley next. I overheard them speaking earlier. But even so, I heard them say that they would not touch Mallory or me until they had captured each one of us. _

_Them? You mean there is more than one of them? Damn. But Harley and Hannah will be safe. Hannah and Ethan are staying with Twain and Harley and Colt have a hotel. They will both be fine. Now, let me just—_

_Raven, _Starfire asked quietly. _How…how is Robin? I mean…how is he taking my being kidnapped? _

_…Not good, Star. He's taking this really hard. I've never seen him so depressed or hurt or angry with himself. He hates himself. I think he loves you, Starfire. _

She was quiet for so long, Raven wondered if her connection had broken, but she suddenly said, _I will have to hear that for myself. Now, let us get this over with so you can find me and bring me home so I might kick Robin's butt. _

Raven's mouth twitched in amusement as she readied herself. _Alright, are you ready?_

_Yes, I am. _

Raven said her mantra slowly, her eyes turning a solid black while her sprit was transported to Starfire's body. Immediately, she was inside her best friend's head, seeing what she saw, feeling what she felt. At first, the pain in her head and hand made her dizzy, but she quickly got over it.

Her body was paralyzed and she was unable to turn her head. With an aggravated sigh, Raven studied the ceiling. Rocks. It had to be a cave of some sort. But where would a cave be located? A beach? A forest? A…hold on a second…Hannah had been found near a forest. Maybe…hot damn! That's where she was! It had to be there, in the forest Hannah had escaped from.

Raven slowly drifted back to her own body, her heart pounding in anticipation. _Starfire, tell me, have you heard any noises, like maybe an owl hooting, or crickets, anything like that?_

Umm…now that you mention it, I have heard the hooting of owls and chirping of crickets. Why do you ask?

_Perfect. I have a feeling I know where you are…I think. I will have to do research, but I think you are in a forest somewhere. Maybe even the forest that Hannah escaped from. I'll get Robin and Beast Boy to help me look there tomorrow—_

_Raven?_ Starfire's voice was inquiring, making Raven wary instantly. It was the tone that had her on edge, for this was too curious, not the happy curios. What the hell was she interested about?

_When…you saw through my eyes…I could have sworn I witnessed some of your memories. Did you and Beast Boy—_

_I'm exhausted, so I best lay down so I can find you tomorrow, _Raven stuttered, trying to shift the conversation from the area.

_Ah ha! You have mated with Beast Boy! I knew it! Oh, how glorious for you! This is wonderful. I shall sing you the song of love!_

_No! I mean, I really am tired, Starfire. I'll get a search going tomorrow, alright? But now I gotta get some rest._

_Alright. You do not need to be in a rush, though, for we will be untouched until they have you and the rest under their control. Please rest, then come and get me. I would not be pleased if you searched for me somnolent. _Raven's eyes opened slowly, zoning in on the dwindling fire. She really was tired.

Raven uncrossed her legs, letting her feet touch the floor before she turned around. Beast Boy was sitting up in bed, head cocked while he watched her. The coverlet concealed his lap, but his chest was visible in the orange glow of light.

"What were you doing, Rae?" He asked softly, his green eyes heavy with sleep. Heat pooled in her stomach, and all he had done was speak.

She blushed, but was too tired to lie. "I was contacting Starfire," she yawned, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. "I think I know where she is."

"What? Really?" Beast Boy was instantly awake and was jumping out of the bed, wrapping the white sheet around his waist before he walked over to her. Her eyes drifted to the ceiling. She had seen every inch of him, yet he was covering up. But she found his modesty adorable.

He stood before her, towering over her by almost a foot, and rested his hands against her sagging shoulders. "You're exhausted, Rae. I know you want to find her, but you have to sleep before we can look for her. I won't have you passing out on me."

Raven nodded, allowing him to lead her to the bed. But she tugged her hand from his when they approached the bed. His eyes lifted to hers in perplexity, at first not understanding what she was doing until she jerked his shirt over her head. He blinked rapidly as she finished undressing and climbed beneath the covers. He followed suit, a bit surprised at her sudden openness.

She waited until he was completely submerged under the covers before she made her move. In no time flat, she was straddling his waist, eyes tired, yet alight with rare mischievous. She watched his gorgeous green orbs cloud with desire and let the corners of her mouth lift in a smile.

"I think that there's in only one way that I'll be able to sleep tonight."

Slowly, she leaned down to kiss him.

* * *

Yippee for me! Zee chapter had been finished! I would have written more, but I decided to cut it off there, because what I have planned next is worth a chapter by itself. Well, guys, I hate to say this, but the White Rose is getting close to the end. There aren't many chapters left to go. I shall be sad when I finish it. But I won't get all sentimental until I post the last chapter. Oh, yeah, have to say this. When I found out that I had 1001 reviews, I flipped. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I truly never thought that it would get to that many…wow…but I shall dedicate this chapter to everyone who ever reviewed for The White Rose. Until next time!

Oh, yes, I am sorry for this mistakes, but I just had to get this posted as soon as I could.


	34. Chapter Thirty Three: January 20th

Dude, I am so freaking excited! Today we're (as in me and my dad and grandmother) are going car shopping for me! And I already got the car I want in my head. A Bug! They're like, nonexistent now, so I just gotta have one. But, uh, er…don't have anything else to say…so…enjoy!

* * *

He could already read the headlines now: _Teen Titan Arrested for Trespassing. Titan Questioned for trespassing in Mayor's Domain. _Robin bit back a groan. Immediately after Waylin had parked the car, Twain and Robin had been jerked out, and treated like criminals. Twain had been taken to a different room, while Robin had been stuck with the snooty bastard who had slammed him against the tree.

Robin knew that he would be treated roughly, but it surprised him when they actually locked him inside a tiny room before the handcuffs had been removed. A large police officer had stood guard, watching him like a hawk incase he flipped or something. Robin had been too confused to even think about escaping.

Were they scared of him? Robin sat down slowly in the rusty foldout chair, blinking rapidly at the guard. His left hand was resting against the gun at his right hip, obviously ready to use it if the time came.

Robin lifted a hand to his scraped forehead. Immediately, the guard jerked his firearm from the holster and aimed it straight at Robin. "Don't move." He said calmly, his hand unwavering as he pointed the gun at Robin's chest. Robin raised an eyebrow.

"Don't you think your taking this a bit too far? I was just going to feel my forehead."

The guard didn't blink. "I have strict orders to keep you at bay."

Robin blinked. "At bay? What do you mean?"

"You are a criminal. I have orders to take you down when the need arises." Robin's eyebrows drew together. "I…"

He couldn't think of anything to say. Yes, he had known that he would be treated differently, but never thought he would be treated like this. It was taking things too far.

"Can I…lower my hand now?" He asked hesitantly. If someone had ordered this man to take him out when he wanted, Robin wasn't about to push any buttons. He needed to be in one piece until Starfire was safe.

"Do it slowly."

Robin licked his bottom lip as he dropped his hand back into his lap. Could someone actually hold a gun to him inside the police department? Obviously they could. But even after he dropped his hand, the man didn't lower his gun.

He didn't know what to do now. He couldn't move without the possibility that he would be riddled with bullets. And talking might be out of the question, unless he wanted to risk pissing the man off.

"So…" Robin said cautiously, "Would you kill me if I asked your name?" Robin had meant it as a joke, but it came out all too serious. Hell, he didn't know what this man was capable of. He seemed like the type to shoot first, ask questions later.

"Douglas. John Douglas."

"Oh." Robin glanced around the tiny room, trying to think about anything but the gun pointed at his heart. The old walls were tinted a dull gray, the paint chipped. Shards of gray lay on the white tiled floor, and the table that he sat at was rusty and scarred. Behind him was a long, wide window, and he knew that he was being watched. Robin bit his lip as he focused on a certain stain on the wall. It looked like…dry blood.

Robin grimaced. Just what kind of room was this? Above the door a metal plate had hung, reading 'Interrogation Room'. If that was truly what this room was, Robin wondered briefly at what kind of police force Jump City had.

Behind Douglas, the door opened and Waylin walked in. He blanched at the sight of Robin being held at gunpoint, but made no move to tell the man to put the gun down.

"Hey, Robin." Waylin said quietly. In his hand was a first aid kit. He slid it to Robin, who merely started at the white box.

"Can I move without getting shot?" He asked sarcastically, lifting his eyes to Waylin's. The older man flinched and laid his hand atop Douglas's gun.

"At ease, John. The boy won't hurt anyone."

But John didn't move. "I was informed that this kid was a threat. Dangerous. I cannot allow you to be alone in here with this loose screw."

Loose screw? Dangerous? Threat? Robin was beyond confused. How could he be a threat? All he did was trespass. It wasn't like he murdered someone.

Waylin sighed. "He's not dangerous. He's just…never mind. Just put the gun down and leave. Stand outside the door if you must, but I need to ask this boy some questions."

Douglas looked like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. "But I have orders—"

Waylin glared. "Listen to me. I outrank you; therefore, you listen to me. When I tell you to leave, you do it. Got it?"

His dark brown eyes narrowed, but he holstered his gun. "I'll be outside."

Robin watched as the man strode from the room and slammed the door. Waylin sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. "Fix yourself up."

Robin glanced down at the box, hesitantly reaching for it. This was too confusing. Why would anyone see him as dangerous?

Waylin reached in his pocket and pulled out a mirror. "You'll need this." He tossed it to Robin, who caught it easily with one hand. After assessing the damage to his forehead, Robin applied disinfectant and slammed a white bandage over his wound. He shoved the box back at Waylin.

"Why am I seen as a threat?" He asked, taking note of the way Waylin stiffened and refused to make eye contact.

"I'm supposed to be the one to interrogate, kid, not you."

Robin ground his teeth together as Waylin sat down, chunking his yellow pad in front of him and unearthing a pen from his pocket.

"Alright, then, lets get started." Waylin placed a tape recorder on the desk, and pressed the record button. He glanced up at Robin, folding his hands in front of him. "Now, if you can, lets make this as easy as we can so you can get out sooner."

Robin scowled. "So I don't go to jail?"

"It all depends on your answer."

"Fine, then. Ask away."

Waylin blinked before he glanced down at the questions on the paper. "Uh, what where you doing there?"

"Trying to find Starfire." Waylin scribbled the answer down, keeping his eyes glued to the paper.

"Why there?"

"Because it was where Hannah Carson was found running from. I don't know about you, but that seems too obvious to me. I have a feeling the mayor is hiding something, and I'll be damned if that bastard has me running scared because he has the power to do whatever he wants. I know he's hiding something and I will find out what it is. I am a Teen Titan. I take guys like him down, no matter his social standard. If he has something to hide, I'll find it. And if he has my girl, I'll take him down. Arrest me if you like, but I will find away out. You can't keep me from saving Starfire."

Waylin blinked, his eyes straying up to the window behind Robin. He smirked at Waylin. "Got anymore questions you'd like me to answer?"

Waylin said nothing, just watched the window. "Fine then. If you're through, then it's time for me to ask some questions." Robin leaned forward in his chair.

"Why am I a threat?"

Waylin glanced back down at Robin. "I don't know."

Robin searched Waylin's eyes and found that he was telling the truth. He didn't know why Robin was suddenly pegged as dangerous. A frown tugged at Robin's mouth.

"Do you know who gave you the orders to keep a watch on me?"

Waylin kept quiet, his eyes once again lifting to the window. Robin sighed, plowing his fingers through his hair.

"It's the mayor, isn't it?"

Waylin jerked in his chair, causing Robin to shake his head. "He sees me as a threat because I came to close to his secret. He is hiding something. And I think I know what it is."

Suddenly, the door opened and the mayor walked in, his fat cheeks flaming red. "Out, now. I want to talk to this here kid, and I don't want anyone interfering, got it? If I find that one of you are listenin' to what I'm saying, I'll make sure you never find work again." Waylin scrambled from the chair, and Robin instantly lost all respect for the man.

Voided of any emotion, Robin watched the mayor order about the officers like slaves. Each and everyone scrambled to do his bidding. _No wonder the police force never helped us_, Robin mused, watching as people tripped over each other to do what the mayor ordered_. They're on a leash._ _The mayor could tell them to jump off a building, and they would ask which one. _

But Robin noticed the tape recorder was still one. Robin quickly glanced up to see the mayor with his back turned and snatched the machine up silently, dropping it into his lap. He glanced down to make sure it was still running, before he leaned down to drop it on the floor, acting like he was tying his shoes. Robin blinked when he found his shoe was untied, and quickly fixed the problem.

When he sat up again, he found the mayor sitting in front of him, chubby arms folded across his massive chest. His beady eyes were narrowed on Robin.

Robin merely smirked and leaned back in his chair. "Must feel good, having the entire police force at your beck and call. You could get them to do anything for you. Steal, murder, and kidnap young girls for your pleasure."

The mayor smiled at Robin's goad. "It does feel good. But I'm not here to talk about my little puppets. I'm here to…make an offer."

If it were possible, Robin's jaw would be scraping the floor. Offer? What the hell offer could the mayor make to him?

"Offer? You mean bribe me. Why?"

The mayor grinned, showing perfect white teeth. He reached into his coat pocket, plucking out a thick white envelope. He laid it on the table, then slid of toward Robin, that grin never leaving his face.

Out of curiosity, Robin picked up the envelope and opened it.

There, in his hands, was about ten thousand dollars, in all hundreds.

Robin felt the air whoosh out of his lungs. That was a lot of money…but why was he offering it?

Pleased with the boy's reaction, the mayor leaned forward. "That's just the beginning of my money, kid. If you take my offer, I'll be sending you double that each month for an entire year."

Robin swallowed and plopped the money down on the table. "What's your offer?"

Suddenly, the grin vanished, replaced by smoldering anger. "I want you to forget you ever got involved in the case."

He could only stare. "What?"

"I want you to forget you ever got involved. I want you to pretend that you never ventured into my woods, that you never saw what you did. I want you to start over, somewhere in Texas, maybe. You can even stay here, but you will never talk about my woods to anyone. Got it?"

Shock was replaced by fury. "Go to hell." Robin picked up the money and chucked it at the mayor, smacking him square in the forehead.

"My woman is gone. The White Rose Killer has her in his grasp, and you want me to forget? I'll be damned if I forget this all for money. I know you're hiding something, and this proves it." Suddenly, Robin's heart stopped. "You know where she is, don't you?"

The mayor made no move to answer but merely watched Robin's reaction calmly. "You're the White Rose Killer, aren't you?"

The mayor smiled. "No, I'm not. I don't need to kidnap and rape girls. All I have to do is crook my finger and they come running. Tempt them with money, they give you're their bodies. It's a win-win situation."

Robin bit back the urge to gag. "Then what are you hiding?"

The mayor stood up and walked around to stand behind Robin. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Robin's fist clenched. "Tell me. What are you hiding? Why am I a threat to you?"

His entire body stiffened when the mayor rested his meaty hand against Robin's shoulder. "You wanna know why you're a threat?"

The mayor leaned down, his mouth inches from Robin's ear. "You're too close to the truth, Robin." And the he was walking toward the door, throwing the envelope back at Robin. "Keep it. But if I find that you've gone back into my woods, I'll make sure you're little lover doesn't see the light of day again."

Robin's breath caught in his throat, but before he could leap from his chair and force answers from the man, he was gone, the door shutting softly behind him. Robin collapsed against the chair, pressing his fist against his mouth.

_He knows. He knows where she is. Oh God, he is involved. And he just threatened me with Starfire's life. _Robin glanced down at the money, a plan formulating in his mind. Let the bastard think that he was taking the bribe. But he was going to track down everyone who had been involved with the Titans to help him. Now he knew that Starfire was in those woods.

And he was going to find her.

With a grin, Robin stood up, reaching down and grabbing the tape from the recorder and tucking it into the envelope, which his slid into his pocket. Robin walked out of the room, noting that all eyes were on him. The mayor sat in a chair not far from him, and managed to glance up.

Robin grinned at him, gently patting his pocket. The mayor beamed, taking Robin's bait. _You bastard. I swear to God I will take you're ass down. No one, and I mean no one, bargains Starfire's life. _

Robin was jerked from his thought when Twain burst from a room, and marched straight up to the mayor.

"You disgust me. I refuse to be part of a team that you have on strings like damn puppets. These people can't do what they need because they're shoved so far up your ass they don't know what time of day it is." Twain jerked his badge from his pocket and walked to a large desk where a massive man sat. His skin was a dark chocolate, brown eyes narrowed as he watched his lead detective toss his badge and gun onto the desk.

"I'll have my resignation on your desk by tomorrow." Twain said softly, eyes sad, yet disgusted. These people, _friends_, were being lead like slaves, always at the mayor's beck and call. They were afraid to do anything. Twain had never known this, not until he had gone against the mayor. They were willing to turn on him to save their own asses from the mayor. Even Waylin refused to help him. Ortega merely sat in the background, not bothering to lift a finger.

These were not the people he had known. These were puppets, shallow, heartless puppets that were allowing the mayor to lead on the strings.

Twain closed his eyes briefly. Had he ever been like this? Allowing someone to control him? No. He had never allowed anyone to rule him. He hadn't even been under the power of the mayor, and if he had, he never knew it. He had never been afraid of the man, didn't know everyone else was.

But now, this involved adolescent children who were being raped and murdered. He would be damned if he just sat around while small, tiny bodies appeared in fragments and defiled by sick hands. And if he stayed with the Jump City Police Force, sitting around would be exactly what he would do. Now, he was going to take things into his own hands, laws be damned. As of today, Alexander Twain stopped being a detective ands started becoming a vigilante.

Black eyes now voided of emotion, Twain turned on his heel, and walked from the building, refusing to look at Waylin and Ortega. From the corner of his eye, he was aware that both men lowered their heads. But he no longer cared. Let them be controlled. Let them live knowing that they helped aid in the murder and rape of innocent girls.

Robin's eyes widened as the door slowly shut behind Twain. He had just watched Twain quit his job. So…what did this mean?

"You're Robin, right?"

Robin glanced up to see the dark-skinned man stand before him. He was lean, thick muscles evident beneath his simple white button down shirt. His head was shaved, as was his face, but those dark eyes of his were unfeeling.

"Yes."

"From here on out, your are forbidden to have any ties to this case. If I find that you try to involve yourself in this case, there will be consequences, got it?"

Robin nodded. "Fine."

The man crossed his arms over his massive chest. "Go home. I don't want to see you any where near here again, got it?"

"Yeah, I got it." Robin breezed past the man, gnashing his teeth. Like he was going to stay away from this case. He was too involved as it was. And now that Twain was gone, it seemed like Robin would be the only one who could find Starfire.

Robin stormed out of the building, walking straight into a heavy snowfall. He sighed, shoving a hand through his hair to dislodge melting snow. But he stopped in mid-action, finding Twain leaning against the car, hands shoved into his pockets. If possible, he looked relaxed.

Thrown off, Robin walked toward him, dropping his hands to his side. Once Twain was in earshot, Robin said, "I heard what happened."

Lex only shrugged. "It was bound to happen sooner or later. Now was just the right time."

Robin bit his lip as he stood in front of him. "So…what does this mean?"

He sighed, glancing down at the white ground. He was silent, his entire body relaxed. Robin had never seen him so calm.

Then suddenly, with a grin, he said, "We take things into our own hands."

* * *

They hadn't used protection. Each time he had made love to her, there had been nothing to keep her from getting pregnant. Raven's finger dug into the soft sheet as she stared at the ceiling, wide-eyed.

What if she was pregnant? What would happen to her? The team? Beast Boy? If she really were with child, how would he take it? Would he run? Rejoice? Tell her that he never wanted a child with her? Her emotions…could they handle the stress of being pregnant? What if they couldn't? What if she couldn't control them and ended up killing herself and everyone around her?

Raven felt anxiety rise. She had never been panicked before, didn't know what to do when panicked. She closed her eyes and turned on her side, her back facing Beast Boy.

But there was a chance that she wasn't. Maybe she was just overreacting. Wasn't there a certain time when someone could get pregnant? And just because they had been together three—no four—times without protection did not necessarily mean that she was pregnant.

Raven took a deep breath. If she didn't stop worrying now, she would end up bring the building to its knees. Raven sat up slowly, glancing around the dark room. Beyond the window a storm raged, bringing sharp sleet and roaring thunder down upon the city. The hearth was bare, no fire burning, leaving the room freezing. Raven shivered, pulling her knees to her chest and resting her forehead against them.

She was afraid. She was afraid that if she were truly pregnant, Beast Boy would want nothing to do with her—their—child. And if that happened to be the truth, she couldn't raise a child by herself, not with her dark past and equally dark future. She would end up hurting the child where she to raise it. It would end up…like her: Afraid to show feelings, afraid to get close to anyone…afraid to love, for fear of being rejected. It would be a living hell for her child.

Beside her, Beast Boy stirred, shifting positions. He sighed softly, but made no other move.

"Rae?" He asked softly, his voice heavy with sleep.

"What?" She snapped, not meaning it to come out as harsh as it did.

He was silent for so long she figured that he had gone back to sleep. But then he moved again, probably to sit up.

"Are you…okay?"

"I'm fine." She bit out, not in the mood to talk to him of all people. Should she tell him about the possibility of her being pregnant? No, that might not be the best idea. Maybe hinting? Hell, if she hinted, he would never figure it out. Well then…maybe that as how she could go about it…

Beast Boy reached out and gently laid a large, warm hand on her shoulder. Raven jerked and leapt from the bed, taking the sheet with her. She knew that if she allowed him to touch her, she would end up crying. And Raven did not cry. So staying away from him until she regained her usually tranquil façade was her best bet.

Had she looked up, she would have noticed Beast Boy's stricken look, but she was too busy wrapping herself in a cocoon of sheets.

"I'm going to take a shower," she muttered, keeping her eyes on the floor and a tight grip on the sheets as she walked to the bathroom. Once she was safely inside, she shut the door and collapsed against it, closing her eyes tightly as tears threatened to fall.

She hadn't meant to be so cruel to him, but she didn't know what else to do. If she had let him comfort her, she knew she would have broken then. She would have ended up blurting out her feelings, like how scared she was of having a child on her own, how frightened she was that he didn't want her, how terrified she was that she was desperately in love with him and didn't know what to do about it.

Raven swallowed hard, pushing herself from the door and walking to the bathtub, letting the sheet fall from her body. She was vaguely aware that she turned on the water and stepped beneath it. The heat was almost unbearable, but she didn't care.

Letting the water soak her, she stared straight ahead, her nerves calming somewhat.

She knew Beast Boy loved her, so why was she acting like this? Beast Boy was not the type of man to leave her if she was pregnant. He would be there for her, no matter what. It had always been like that. When she needed him, he was there, offering a shoulder to cry on even when she pushed him away.

When it came to things like this, he would be scared, yes, but he would do whatever he could to help her. He would give up everything to make her happy.

Raven felt guilt rise as she leaned her head against the cold wall. Beast Boy had told her he would wait for her. He would wait forever, if the need be. How could she think so lowly of him? How could she think that he would ever abandon her in such tough times? It was so like her, to think that worst of others. Beast Boy had shown her that she wasn't alone, and the first chance she got, she doubted him. His love.

Quickly, she cleaned herself, and then stepped out of the shower. She needed to apologize to him for snapping the way she did. She would also explain everything. She wrapped herself in a towel, checking the mirror briefly.

She wondered what it would be like to be pregnant, knowing that another life was growing within her. Raven glanced down, pressing a hand to her flat stomach.

Would carrying Beast Boy's child be so bad?

* * *

She regretted it. She regretted being with him. Beast Boy leaned against the headboard, closing his eyes as pain ripped through him. He had told her there was no going back, and she agreed with him, yet she regretted it. Everything he had done, everything he had given her, was for nothing.

Dammit, he loved her. And now, she was turning around and betraying him like this. She could have said no. She could have told him that she wasn't ready, but she let him love her.

And now she was throwing everything back in his face. Why had he ever trusted her? Why had he let her drag him around? Dig herself so deep into his heart that he knew he would never stop loving her?

It…hurt. More than Terra's betrayal ever had, or could have. It was as if his heart were being ripped in two. But he would never let her see that. Never. Beast Boy pressed the heel of his hands against his eyes.

Dammit, he would not cry. Crying was for weaklings. She didn't deserve to be cried over.

Beast Boy dragged himself from the bed to find clothes to change into. He needed to go walk or something. Maybe find him a girl who he could bury his pain in.

He snatched boxers and jeans from the bag and worked them on, anger slowly replacing his pain.

How dare she hurt him like this? What right did she think she had to lead him around like a damn dog? He didn't need her. He would be fine without her. She would regret the day she _ever_ hurt him.

Beast Boy grabbed a shirt and jerked it one so hard his ripped it. Grounding his teeth so hard they ached, he ripped the nescience from his chest and started to rip the cloth into tiny shreds.

That was how Raven found him minutes later, plopped down on the floor and shredding a shirt into thin strips. He seemed to be taking pleasure in the way it ripped, like maybe he was picturing he was ruining something…or someone else.

Raven flinched when he glanced up at her, his eyes darkening in hate.

"I…think we need to talk." She said hesitantly, eyebrows drawing together when he scowled at her.

"Yes, we do." He got to his feet slowly, his entire body stiff with anger. "And _I'm_ going to be the one to talk."

Raven clutched the towel closer to her, her knuckles white. "But I need—"

"I don't give a _damn_ about what you need. It's always been about you, hasn't it Raven? About what you want, what you need. How you can't show emotion because of you powers, yadda, yadda, yadda. Poor pitiful Raven, the heartless half-demon."

He shoved his hands into his pockets and started to pace. "And the sad thing is, I wanted to be the one who got you to open up, to laugh, maybe even smile. But you were too goddamn selfish to even do that. For years, that was all I wanted. To make you laugh. And you actually scorned me for it. I realize now that maybe I went about it the wrong way, but I tried. That should count for something, but it doesn't.

"And you know what really sucks? I actually fell in love with you. Don't ask me how, but I did. And I'm paying for it. I'm coming to find that you don't want anyone to love you. Obviously, you want to be alone the rest of your life. So, that's what I'm going to let you do. Just think. No more stupid jokes, no more offering a shoulder to cry one—since you obviously don't need one—and no more attempts to try and get you to love me."

Beast Boy stopped pacing and rubbed his pounding temples. "I give up, Raven," he said softly, letting his hands drop to the side. "I just can't do it anymore. I can't give up my life for something that will never happen. I…don't know why you let me touch you the way I did. But you've finally got what you wanted. You're on your own." Letting his eyes drop to the floor, Beast Boy slowly put on a shirt and shoes.

Raven's breath caught in her throat. Giving up? He was giving up on her?

"Beast Boy, please, you don't understand—"

"Raven…" Beast Boy stood up slowly, rubbing his palms against his jeans. "Don't. I don't want to hear anything you have to say. Just…shut up."

Beast Boy walked out of the room, slowly shutting the door behind him. Raven didn't know how long she stood there, staring at the door. It seemed like hours.

You're on your own.

_No, I don't want to be alone. Don't leave me alone like this. _

No more stupid jokes, no more offering a shoulder to cry one—since you obviously don't need one—and no more attempts to try and get you to love me.

_Please, please don't say that. I need you. I need you to love me. I need you there for me, please. Don't leave me, Beast Boy. I love you. _

I give up.

_Don't give up on me, please, don't lose faith in me. I…I don't want to be alone anymore. I don't want to live without you there with me. I don't want to hurt like this anymore. Don't give up on me. _

You've finally got what you wanted.

_I don't want this. This isn't what I wanted. I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE!_

Raven hit her knees as anguish took hold. It was over. Beast Boy had given up. Curling her legs under her, Raven bowed her head. She was truly alone now. All because she had been selfish and pushed him away from her.

Would anyone ever love her like Beast Boy? Would they try to make her laugh, get her to feel? No. Beast Boy was the only one who wanted to be with her, to see her laugh, to see her happy.

Her salvation was gone now. Given up. Raven held her breath in hope of ridding herself of tears. Selfish. What was the point? She had never let herself cry before, so why not start now? She was alone, she what did it matter?

She could take down this entire building if she cried.

_But have I ever seen if it would happen? What if I cried, and nothing happened? Maybe then I could rid of some of this pain. _

Selfish. She could kill everyone within here if she attempted it. She would end hundreds of lives just to help with her pain. It wouldn't be worth it then.

But no matter what she did, tears spilled from her closed eyes. And nothing happened. Her powers didn't overreact, nothing shattered, or collapsed. Nothing.

Wrapping her arms around her waist, Raven took a deep breath.

And wept.

* * *

Maybe he had taken things a little too far. Beast Boy sighed and leaned against the side of the building. She had tried to explain something; maybe even why she was so mad, but he had told her he was giving up.

Then again, maybe that was what she wanted to hear. She probably wanted nothing to do with him now. So, this was it, huh? Him and Raven were over. Hell, did they even start?

Yeah, he had been with her, but that didn't count. She never felt anything for him. Nothing. She probably only agreed to be with him to see what it felt like. And obviously, she hadn't liked it.

Maybe Raven wasn't what he thought. Maybe she really was heartless. Maybe all those times he had seen beyond her mask had been for his sake. Maybe his mind had made her to be something she wasn't. Something she could never be. Now, he didn't even know what kind of woman he had fallen in love with.

Beast Boy banged his head against the brick. And damn him to hell…he was still in love with her. Probably always would be.

Beast Boy groaned and shoved himself away from the wall. Just as he was about to step from the shadowy alley, Raven walked out of the building and headed in his direction. He blinked, and then rubbed his eyes to see if he was seeing what he thought he was.

Raven? _Crying_? Yeah, and hell would freeze over. But he leaned closer, his eyes searching her face. She was crying. No sobbing, but crystal tears fell from her lavender eyes and slid down her pale cheeks.

He heard her sniff softly and bow her head as she shoved her hands into her black trench coat. Her shoulders were slumped, yet her body was stiff. Beast Boy had never seen her so…slouched. Her spine was usually ramrod straight and the only reason she ever slouched was when she was hurt, and even that was unusual. Had his words done that?

He felt no pleasure at this. He actually felt guilty. But she was the one who hurt him. Beast Boy moved back into the shadows as she passed him. He sniffed the air, his eyes narrowing. She reeked of pain and loneliness.

You're on your own.

Beast Boy cursed and kicked the wall, only to yelp and cradle his injured toe in his hand. Damn, damn, damn, damn. He better not have been the one to make her feel lonely. But why would _his_ words hurt her? Could she actually…nah. Maybe he had said something to hurt her ego. God knows her ego could use some deflating, though.

Dropping his throbbing foot, Beast Boy stepped out of the alley and watched her walk away. He wondered briefly if he should follow her, but decided that he would wait until she got back into the room, so he could ask her why she was so mad.

Sighing, Beast Boy walked back into the building, heading for his room. Maybe he had seen things the wrong way. Maybe she had been sore and cranky. Maybe she had been worried about something else, like Starfire, and had let her temper get the better of her. Raven was known to snap at anyone when she was mad.

Once inside the elevator, Beast Boy leaned against the wall and banged his head against it. Dude, if that were the reason, he said all that crap for nothing. The doors slid open and he stormed out, muttering curses along the way.

That would mean that he hurt her for no reason…if what he said had really hurt her in the first place. Beast Boy groaned, slamming open the door. And froze.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

* * *


	35. Chapter Thirty Four: January 20th

* * *

Raven watched a couple stroll by, briefly wondering what the hell they were doing outside in a snowstorm like this. She, of course, had a reason, so she wasn't an idiot like those two were. The biting wind was as close to physical pain as she would allow herself, but these people were nuts. They acted as though they were oblivious to the freezing snow, the howling winds that seemed to shred the skin. They were in their own little world of love. 

She scowled, using the toe of her boot to push the swing into motion. The park was deserted, save for the happy couple that was slowly disappearing from her sight. She wondered if they were like Starfire, completely optimistic about every little thing.

Raven sniffed, running her tongue along her chapped bottom lip and tilting her head back to stare at the black sky. She couldn't tell what time of day it was, but she didn't really care. Beast Boy's words still haunted her mind, but instead of her heart hardening, it just seemed to break even more. She was positive that in minutes, there would be nothing left to break...

Why had he said those things to her? What had triggered it? She was highly aware that she had been a bit standoffish when she awoke, but she had been in emotional turmoil. Maybe she had said something to elicit it. Had she said anything mean?

Raven's eyebrows drew together when she found that all she had done was snap at him. There was a possibility that maybe he was just tired of her attitude. She knew she was hard to deal with, but strangely, she had always known that he would be patient with her. Had that worn off? Had he lost all hope in her?

Of course he had. He had given up on her. Hell, who wouldn't? She was obnoxious, rude, sarcastic, and so damned lonely it hurt. And yet she pushed everyone away.

Why?

Why was she like this? Why did she shove everything that mattered away from her? Was it just her nature? To be cruel, self-loathing, alone for all eternity? Was that her future? To be alone? But it would be her fault she were alone in the end. Beast Boy had given her everything she had always wanted. Yet, she turned on him, treated him like he was nothing more than the ground she walked on. Why? There was no excuse for her behavior.

So why was she like this?

She didn't have to be cruel to him. She didn't have to chip away at his ego because hers was so low. She didn't have to detach herself from him because of her emotions. So she couldn't laugh, or cry, without something breaking, but that didn't mean she had to hide from everything. She could join things without laughing or crying, and she wouldn't feel so alone. Hell, she could probably even joke (nothing sarcastic, of course) with people.

So why was she doing this to herself? Why was she making it so hard for people to love her? Maybe it was the demon blood in her. Demons were known to be independent, never wanting any part in other people unless it was to breed more demons. It could be that her demon side wanted nothing more than to wallow in loneness, for it felt more secure. But the human within her longed for love. Her emotions longed for love.

Raven had the strangest urge to bash her head against something solid. Well, hell. Now she admitted it, after practically losing everything. It was all so bloody simple now. The only way to keep her emotions in check was to love. It was corny logic, but it was so obvious. The reason nothing had blown up was because she was slowly admitting that she was head over heels in love with Beast Boy. That was all she had ever needed to be free from her powers.

She, of course, loved her teammates, but the love she need was far from the love of family. She needed love from…Beast Boy. And she had had it for so long. Funny thing was, now that she admitted it, Beast Boy was probably forgetting she ever existed.

Raven shoved her hands through her hair. Okay, so she loved Beast Boy. More than anything in the world. She hurt him, he hurt her, she ran, found she loved him. Simple, yes? No. What the hell had she done to hurt him? _Had_ she hurt him?

Raven remembered the agony in his eyes and groaned. Oh yeah. She had hurt him. But _how_? She slid from the swing and plopped down on the snow, sitting Indian-style. Of course, she was submersed in waist-high snow, and the cold was soaking through her pants, but she didn't care. Feeling like a child, Raven fell backwards, letting the snow soak her. She briefly wondered what people would think if they saw her…but that wasn't the point now.

She had to figure out what she did to upset him. Okay, he asked what was wrong, she snapped. Told him she was going to take a shower…maybe her snapping at him hurt him.

No.

Alright…then…what the hell could have hurt him so bad? Raven bit her lip so hard it bled while she thought of possible answers. She had to fix this, whatever it was. She would not lose Beast Boy now, of all times. And anyway, time was ticking down for her to find Starfire, so the longer so wondered about this, the more chance there was of losing Starfire.

Raven repeated the moment she had snapped at Beast Boy in her head. Snapping, walking away, him saying things like that…

_I don't know why you let me touch you like that_…Oh hell.

He thought she regretted being with him. He was hurt because she thought she didn't want him. Why had she not thought of that sooner? Beast Boy was so self-conscious that he would immediately think she had regretting making love with him. And she had given him plenty of reasons to think so.

Raven groaned and stood up quickly. She had to go explain why she was so mad this morning. She didn't regret anything, and he had to know that. Hell, maybe she would even tell him that she loved him…eh, on second thought…

Raven ran to the apartment building, and flung open the door. By the time she was at the elevator, breathing labored, she wondered why she didn't just fly there…stupid emotions clouding her head…

It seemed like she was in the bloody elevators for hours. She leaped from the elevator as soon as the doors opened, and ran to her room. But paused. Something didn't feel right. Something…was different.

Raven pressed a hand to the wooden door, eyebrows drawn together. Why did the room reek of…anger? Stupid question. Beast Boy was probably in there, ready and waiting to rip her throat out. Raven sighed, debating if she should be brave and go in or run for the hills. She was leaning toward running, but fixing things with Beast Boy was more important.

Quietly, Raven opened the door. And froze. Beast Boy was leaning slightly on one side, holding his bleeding arm, while glaring at the person holding the gun. It took Raven a full minute to gather what was going on, and when she did, all attention was focused on her.

Beast Boy eyes, once clouded with pain and anger, faded away to panic. "Raven, run! Go get Twain or someone, now!"

Hell, she couldn't move if she wanted. She was too shocked. Beast Boy, hurt, blood dripping from his clawed fingers, held a gunpoint. Raven eyes snapped to the corner where they owner of the gun stood. Oh God.

Aiming the gun at her, Marty smiled. "Hello, Raven."

* * *


	36. Chapter Thirty Five: January 20th

…Over half of my reviewers said they had no idea who Marty was…I don't know whether to laugh or cry…but I guess I can sort of understand why they didn't remember him. I mean, I didn't write about him often, and when I did, it was usually something small. And anyway, with me only posting chapters about once every two to three weeks, it would be easy to forget. But since you don't know who he is, I'll just give a brief summary: He's the clothes designer who was hired to get the Titans ready for school and such. He was Darcy's partner, so to say. Oh, and thank you RoseMage for drawing a fanart for the whole Darcy scene. I enjoyed it immensely, so I shall dedicate this chapter to you. If you want to check it out for yourself, email me and I'll send you the address.

* * *

She was beginning to feel her fingers. Everything else still felt numb, but she could gently curl her knuckles and fist her hand, though it hurt like nothing she had ever felt. With one hand being crushed, and the horrible tingling, she was beginning to wish she were still unable to feel. Starfire flexed her uninjured hand, grinding her teeth as pain shot up her arm. Starfire let out a deep, controlled breath. Okay, so now she could feel her arm… it was better then nothing. At least she had control over some part of her body. Now, maybe she could defend herself when the White Rose Killer appeared. That is, if he didn't shoot her up with that damned drug again.

Before, when he had leaned over her, she knew she couldn't use her eye power to throw him off her. If she had, it would have only kept him at bay for a short while. Then, she would be completely vulnerable. What if he had gone after Mallory? She couldn't have done anything, not with her entire body being paralyzed. She couldn't put Malloy in the line of danger just to appease her anger. She would have been asking for the White Rose Killer to hurt them. He could have found a way to defile them both, without her being able to throw him off her again. So, in a way, letting him think she was vulnerable was a good thing. Starfire would not allow herself to fight until she was completely in control of her body.

Starfire slowly straightened her fingers and let her green eyes roam over the rocky ceiling. Raven had said that she knew where she was, but Starfire didn't—_wouldn't_—get her hopes up. This entire escapade her taught her more about earth than anything in her entire seventeen years of living. Nothing was black and white to her anymore. Nothing was innocent, or beautiful, or clean cut.

And as she lay here, for hours and hours on end, with nothing more than her thoughts and memories to sustain her, she wondered how she could have ever survived the way she did. She had trusted everyone that had shown up within her line of vision. She had always been willing to give everyone a second chance. To keep herself from succumbing to tears of despair and pain, Starfire rolled her eyes. It was a wonder she wasn't six feet under now. But, no matter how she hated it, the reason she had maintained her innocence, was because of Robin.

He had kept her from harm, showed her a world so beautiful, so real, that she had no worries Criminals and evil masterminds were just a plot that kept her world from being a fairytale. And though he had added hurt and pain to it before, despair and loneliness, he had turned and would become her salvation, her reason for getting up from her bed. In truth, he was her life, whether he loved her or not. It was hard to admit. Without him, she couldn't function properly. She had lived to please him, to be there for him even when he shoved her away. And, in her eyes, it was a weakness; a weakness that had gotten her into this mess. The more she thought about the, the more she found that that she didn't need anyone anymore. She was not talking about friends. No, she needed those more than she needed oxygen. What she didn't need was a man by her side. She was stronger than most men, so why was it that she only felt comfortable when Robin was by her side? Was it just his company? Or just the feel of his presences?

Starfire's full mouth turned down in a frown. If that were the reason, she swore to herself that if she made it through this adventure, she would slam her dense skull against a wall. She lived for no man. And though she loved Robin more than her own life, she wouldn't succumb to her petty desire to have someone by her side.

Starfire shifted her injured hand, biting the corner of her mouth until to bled when unbearable pain raced through her system. Damn. It had been awhile since she felt such raw agony at a wound. The last time she had been in this much pain was when Slade was still back in action. But with all the broken bones she had sustained, this one was worse. It felt as if every bone in her hand was shattered. Maybe it was. Whatever was wrong, she knew it would take a miracle to heal right. That is, if she even survived…

Shaking her head at her unusually pessimistic thoughts, Starfire sighed. She wondered of Mallory was awake.

"Mallory?" Starfire asked quietly, eyebrow arching when she was answered with a foul curse.

"Damnit, my fingers hurt." Although they were in a bad situation, she couldn't help but chuckle.

"As do mine. I have not awoken you, have I?"

Beside her, Mallory snorted. "Oh, yeah, I'm really going to sleep while in the clutches of a rapist that could pop up any time."

Starfire's lips quirked upwards in amusement at Mallory's sarcastic remark. "Well, if I did not disturb you…then mayhap, we could…talk."

"Glad you said that. My mind was starting to wonder into depressing territories."

"Mine as well. So maybe talking will ease my sense of depression."

"Lord, you talk so fancy."

Had she been able to move, Starfire's would have shaken her head. "So, what topic should we converse about first?"

"Uh…how about men? They're interesting enough…but then again, we're looking for non-depressing topics, huh? So…let's talk about Christian. Was he trouble watching?"

Thankful for the topic, Starfire smiled softly. "Not at all. In fact, I fear I will weep uncontrollably once he is returned to you. I have come to see him like a child of my own, if you don't mind me saying so."

"I'm glad you think that. He seemed so comfortable with you. But, once this is over, and I am back to my old self, do you think that maybe…we could still hang out once in awhile? I mean, with you being a Teen Titan, and having a reputation to uphold—"

"I would love to do the hanging out with you."

Malloy laughed. "Okay. Good. Because I have a feeling that Christian is going to throw a tantrum when I take him home again."

Starfire smiled softly. "I will…be lonely when all this is over and he is back with you. If you do not set ground rules, I will be likely to show up on your doorstep everyday."

"Feel free. If things go right, you might have to watch him again once Wyatt and I decide to go on our honeymoon. I will need someone to—"

"I shall do it," Starfire said quickly, her voice eager.

Mallory rolled her eyes in amusement, but grimaced as her fingers tingled painfully. "Dude, I hope this doesn't continue."

"What?"

"My fingers are killing me. I hope that when the rest of me is able to move, it doesn't hurt like this."

"Hmm…maybe. I wonder how much longer it will take for the drug to completely ware off."

"Well, I'd say it's been about…seven hours since we were taken. But I could be wrong." Mallory let her dark eyes roam the ceiling. "Do you think," she stared out slowly, "they'll find us?"

"I have…talked with Raven. She says she knows where we might be. I think I might know as well."

"How have you…never mind. I keep forgetting that you're not human. Wait, that came out wrong. I just meant that your different…not strange different, just…oh hell."

Starfire laughed. "There is nothing wrong with what you said. I am not human."

"So…you're an alien, right?"

"Yes. I am from Tameran."

"…Strange, but in school, they don't teach us about your planet. They only teach us about Saturn, and Mars, and those types. But until the Titans formed, I had no idea Tameran existed."

"Tameran is…not looked upon kindly. Mayhap that is why your planet has never taught about our race or home. But on Tameran, I had no idea that other places existed. I was told that the only places I need to know were enemy planets and allies. Earth had never been mentioned."

"Oh…so when you came here, you knew nothing?"

"I only knew parts of the language. I was taught over thirty languages total. Including earth languages, though when I asked what language it was, I was told that it didn't matter…I had a strict teacher."

"Wow," Mallory said, her eyebrows drawing together. "When you came down here, you instantly recognized the language?"

Starfire's mouth curved upwards. "No. I only knew the basics. I knew no slang, or shortening of words, so I was constantly lost."

Mallory laughed. "Yeah, I can see how you would be."

"There're still some words I am confused with, but other than that, I am more comfortable with this language than my own."

"Do you ever plan on going back to Tameran…I said that right, right?"

Starfire chuckled. "Yes, you said it correctly. But…" She frowned. "I…do not think I will ever return. This is my home now. I do not think anything could remove me from here. Not even…Robin." Starfire's frown deepened. No, even if Robin married another, she would still stay here. She had nothing back on Tameran. The only family she had was ruler now, and she would feel as if she were imposing where she to go back. But everything she loved was here, on Earth. There was no need to go back to Tameran.

"I know it's none of my business, but how are things with you and Robin? When I went to look for you, they said that you and him had had a little tiff…but if you don't want to talk about it, it's fine with me."

After a short debate on whether or not to tell her, Starfire decided that it would do her some good to get it off her chest. "A tiff is too little a word to describe what happened. But our disagreement goes farther than just tonight…or yesterday, or whatever. This has been going on since this whole adventure began. He told me earlier that he only wanted my friendship, needed it more than anything. And though it hurt, I accepted that as how things were going to be. I figured that I could live happily as long as he was by my side, even if it was just as a friend. But…then something changed." Starfire's eyes stared ahead, unseeing, eyebrows drawn together tightly.

"All of the sudden, he was saying these cruel things for no reason. I…do not remember his exact words. My mind went blank at his first hurtful words. But after which, I was so mad…I…threw him against the wall and said such mean things. I have never said such words before. He…cried. Not weeping, or sobbing, but his eyes were so hurt. I was mad, yes, but those eyes destroyed me. Before, I had always dreamed of seeing his eyes. I have a strange habit of reading people through their eyes. They might not say a word, but I can somehow tell what they feel. Countless times I see loneliness and pain in Raven's eyes. Beast Boy's are filled with the same. But in his eyes is the need for acceptance. Cyborg is lonely as well, but during my time on the Titans, I had never seen Robin's eyes. I had no idea what went through his head, or if he was hurting or if I could help. I understood that his mask was far more than just cloth. He needed it to protect himself.

"And when he took of his mask, I was thrilled. But…there is something in his eyes that I cannot fix. He is so alone. No matter how I try, I will never be able to be there for him like he needs. I have tried so hard, but it's just not enough. He needs someone who can fill that cold place inside him. But I do not know if he wants someone to fill it. Maybe he wishes to be alone. If that is the case, then I will leave him…"

Feeling an onslaught of tears, and hating herself for it, Starfire closed her eyes and took a deep breath. There was no point in crying. It would solve nothing. Slowly, she let her eyes drift open. They were dry, thankfully, but were dark with pain.

"But…why were you so angry before? Enough to run away from?"

Starfire sighed. "I…it was partly my fault for overreacting. He had told me there was nothing for us, yet I guess, after all that, I let myself hope for something that would never happen. And so, hoping for the impossible, I was going to…ask him to dance, I think. Just as friends. But he was talking to the blonde bimbo—" Despite the dark conversation, Mallory laughed, "—and said that I was money hungry, or something like that. I was hurt, and angry, so I ran out, and ended up getting my butt whooped." Unconsciously, she curled her uninjured fist.

"From where I was standing, you did a lot of butt whooping yourself. I've never seen anyone take down so many men in such a short time. You had them all down, even hurt. I'd say that's whooping some serious ass. I didn't do anything…I just sat there. But then again, I can't fight…well, unless it involves claws and hair pulling."

Starfire sighed and tried to ignore her throbbing body. The drug was wearing off, but now all she could feel was pain. It felt as if she were lying on a bed of needles that sunk through her flesh. And her shattered hand only added to her misery.

"We got off subject, didn't we?"

"Hmm?"

"Well, I think I asked why you were so mad, then I went off on how you kicked butt…so, if you don't mind me asking…_again_, why were you so mad? Oh wait. Never mind. He called you money hungry…sorry, my brain is not functioning well."

"It is all right. But I do not know why he said such things." Starfire sighed.

"Robin seems… a lot like Wyatt," Mallory said softly. "His actions, his movements, the way he thinks. And if he is like Wyatt…he probably thinks that hurting you is saving you."

"But how?"

Starfire heard Mallory sigh deeply before she said, "Wyatt told me that he had hurt me to protect me from him. He thought the only way to make me happy was to leave. He had a hard family life when he was growing up. His father would beat him and his mother pretty bad. Wyatt said that the entire line of men on his father's side beat their wives and children, and he was afraid that he would end up hurting Christian and I. After all the pain and suffering I went through, to find out that he was trying to protect me was so damn sweet. He told me that he never wanted to hurt me, that it killed him every time he had said something hurtful.

"But what I'm getting at is…maybe Robin's trying to protect you from himself. Maybe he's afraid that if you stay with him, you'll end up getting hurt. I could be way off, but I do think that he's only trying to protect you. I can tell by the way he watches you that he's madly in love with you. You know, it could even be that he's scared. He might be afraid to love you because he's afraid of losing you, so in his mind, the only way to keep himself from pain is pushing you away."

Starfire pushed down the glimmer of hope that bloomed in her heart. That couldn't be true…could it?

"Starfire…I know what I'm saying makes no sense. I understand that. When Wyatt told me all this, I had a hard time believing it. But…it made sense. Still does. Maybe I'm wrong. But there is still a chance that I'm right. You can continue to let him hurt you, think that he really doesn't love you, or you can ease your pain and tell yourself that he's only protecting you. And even if it's not the reason, it will keep you from breaking down. But I'm just throwing out ideas here."

Now uncomfortable, Mallory lapsed into silence, cursing herself for getting involved in something that was none of her business. Damn her father for teaching her to be so nosy…

"Mallory?"

Okay, good. Starfire's voice wasn't full of rage…but it was soft, like maybe she was taking her words into consideration.

"Yeah?"

"You would be a good physiatrist."

* * *

At first, nothing registered. It was like waking up from a dream where you remembered everything, yet nothing made sense. Raven was vaguely aware that Beast Boy was trying to get Marty's attention away from her, but she was in a stupor. Marty could have pulled the trigger and she would have felt nothing. 

Without thinking, Raven's eyes drifted to Beast Boy. His hand was bloodied from where it clutched his upper arm, and a pool was forming under his fingers. Funny how one thing could snap you out of a daze so quickly. But, her problem was that instead of being shocked, she was angry, and anger was not her strongest point in controlling.

"You seemed shocked, Raven."

Her eyes narrowed into nothing more than slits. Marty blinked, and then shrugged, hiding his surprise that the girl wasn't scared. But he had to remember that she was a Titan, not a normal human.

Yeah, she was shocked. She would have never thought that he would be part of it, but now, when her mind went over past occurrence, it made sense. The White Rose killer had known who they were from the beginning. He had been aware of their movements, their actions. Raven had always suspected Twain or Waylin, but now this made so much more sense. And Darcy. God, no wonder she had been…wait a second.

"Darcy was the one who called." She said suddenly, throwing both Beast Boy and Marty off. But then Marty threw back his head and laughed.

"How'd ya guess?"

Without thinking, Raven lunged at him. His eyes widened, and just as he pulled the trigger, Raven knocked him to the ground. The shot was hushed thanks to the silencer attached to the end. Ignoring the burning pain in her side where the bullet was lodged, Raven turned to Beast Boy.

"Get out of here and call the police now, Beast Boy. And hurry. There's a payphone just outside the building—"

"I won't leave you, Raven."

Before she could yell at him for being stubborn, Marty, who was pinned to the ground beneath her, lifted the gun and slammed it against her injured side, pushing her off. White light danced in front of her eyes as she stared at the ceiling. Damn it, _that hurt_.

Beast Boy morphed into a ram and slammed his horns into Marty's midsection, knocking him back. Taking on his normal form, Beast Boy made a beeline for the gun, but before he realized it, Marty had once again taken hold of it. Aiming at anything, Marty pulled the trigger, his eyes wild.

The bullet ripped through muscle as it entered his chest, and existed from the back, lodging into the wall. But Beats Boy ignored the horrible pain as he used his right shoulder to ram Marty's chest and send him sprawling backwards. His head collided with the wall and he was, for the moment, unconscious.

Dizzy with blood loss, Beast Boy hit his knees and cursed. Of all the times to be weak… Grimacing, Beast Boy lifted his eyes…and found himself staring into beautiful amethyst orbs.

"Raven." He should have been angry that she would throw herself into danger, but he couldn't concentrate on anything but the pain. He cursed again.

"Beast Boy…'

She needed to find Twain. She needed to get away from here. He had already let her get into danger, and he would hate himself if she were hurt more than she was now.

"Go." Beast Boy ground his teeth together and bowed his head, the pain in his chest increase, spreading through his shoulders, down his arms. "Leave now. Find Twain. Don't…stay."

"Beast Boy, I—"

"Please," he pleaded. "I won't have you staying here and getting hurt for my sake. Please, Raven, just go." It was getting hard to breath now. Every breath sent waves of agony washing over him. He was starting to think that the bullet had hit something vital…

"I can't."

"Damnit, Raven, now is _not_ the time to be stubborn."

"I will not leave you here like this."

Beast Boy shook his head, his claws digging into the tender flesh of his palms. "Raven…please…I…think the bullet hit something vital. I…don't think I'm going to last much longer. I won't be able to protect you." _Like I ever did…_

"Beast Boy, don't—"

"I can't breath, Raven. It hurts too much to even try. And I've lost too much blood. I've already been hit once. Just go. There's nothing here for you anymore."

"Damnit, you're here and that's all that matters to me. I will not let you die here, do you understand? You can complain all you want, curse me all you want, but I _will not_ leave you."

Before he could say anything, something clogged his throat, sending him into a coughing fit. He heard Raven's whispered "Oh God" and figured that he was coughing up blood. Great. Just great. He was going to die here, leaving Raven alone to face the White Rose killer. Why was it that he had to be weak when protecting the one he loved? Wasn't it enough that he couldn't do anything right when on the team? Was this some sort of sign? Hell, if it was, it didn't matter now. The chance of him making through this alive was slim to none. It was a sure sign now that the bullet had hit something vital. And now that he was coughing up blood, it seemed as if he were bleeding internally. Damn. He was going to die a mess…

"Beast Boy, look at me." Her voice wavered, but after a minute, he decided that it was his mind playing one final trick on him. Truthfully, he wasn't scared. Maybe his death would be a good thing. Raven could find someone to make her happy, maybe even someone who could help the team. No, he wasn't scared.

He was hurt.

To know that his life had been anything but a burden hurt him more than any physical wound ever could. To know that once he was gone, no one would remember him. His team would, but they would think of his as a 'sidekick, or helper'…or troublemaker. He was the useless part of the team that only aided in making them mad, or throwing lame jokes around to try and cheer them up, or getting in the way when they needed to take a criminal down. Maybe…death was really the only way to repair what he had ruined. And Raven…would she remember him when she was older? Or, like the rest of the world, forget he had existed? Oh God. Let death come quickly.

"Beast Boy, I need you to lay back for me." Damnit, his mind was cruel, making it sound as though Raven were really scared. Maybe there was a chance he would be reincarnated into…a movie star. Yeah, a movie star, where he was loved, looked upon with admiration. And he would own a million mopeds…

With the help of Raven, he lay back, but ended up practically choking on his own blood. One word. Gross. Quickly, Raven lifted his head so he didn't drown. With a groan of pain, Beast Boy closed his eyes, grimacing when Raven gently ripped his shirt. Her breath hitched, but he ignored it. She was probably queasy at the sight of blood. Heh, Raven afraid of blood. Funny.

"Beast Boy, I'm sorry."

Since he was halfway between the living and the dead, Beats Boy didn't say anything. "I…know that you thought that I regretted being with you, but—" she pressed her small, soft hands against his ragged wound, and he couldn't stop the cry of pain that erupted from his throat, "— that wasn't the reason. I…was scared because of the chance that I might be pregnant. I was overreacting because I was so scared that I might hurt my—our—child because of who I am. I was scared, and I took it out on you. I never meant to hurt you. Oh God, and now…now…Beast Boy, I can't lose you."

Slowly, Beast Boy opened his eyes…and cursed his mind once again for making it seem like Raven was crying. Damn, this was…wait. Was she…? She _was_ crying. Raven was _crying_…for him.

"You know," he said weakly, "I could never manage to make you laugh…but somehow…instead of you laughing for me…you're crying for me." Beast Boy's body jerked up as he coughed, but when he was settled, he managed to look back at her. Tears poured from her eyes, making them brighter. He wondered why she was crying. And why her power had not overreacted yet. Shouldn't something have broken? Shattered?

And then he realized he was probably delusional, and she wasn't sitting beside him in real life, was not crying for him. Well, a dying man was entitled to his fantasize, right?

But the warm hands against his chest felt so real, as did the hot tears that hit his blood soaked skin. Maybe she was there with him. Maybe…this was real.

If it was, then she needed to know how he felt. He would be damned if he died and never told her that he loved her. Once he was gone from this world, he had no wish to return. He had a feeling that if he didn't tell her now, he would end up haunting her. She would _not_ remember him as the freaky ghost who proclaimed his love in her dreams, or while she was in the shower or whatever. He had more respect for himself then that…although the shower part held some interest…

"Raven…"

"Beast Boy, I'm going to heal you, okay?" For the first time ever, Raven's voice shook.

"Don't. Raven, you'll be too weak to escape him. Just…go. I'm not important enough for you to wait around for. Please, leave. For me."

"No."

Beast Boy ground his teeth in aggravation. "Damnit, woman, you're so stubborn."

"I would rather him find me than know that you're dead."

"Raven…"

"I will not leave you. I don't care if he kills me, but you will live, even if I don't." It wasn't a proclamation of undying love, but it was close enough. At least she cared. Now, he could die a happy man.

Strange, but now he could literally feel his life slipping away from the world. The pain lessoned, and for some strange reason, memories flitted through his brain. It was like watching a silent movie, but this time, he was watching himself. His mind replayed his first day of school, his first kiss, first date, first time he saw himself as a monster. He watched as his parents were killed, watched as he ran away like a coward, watched the first time he met his team, Raven. The first moment he fell in love with her. He really was dying. Now he felt fear, a raw emotion that consumed his entire body.

"Raven…" he managed weakly. "I…I love you. I always have." Her face was blurred now, color fading into gray, then black, until he could no longer see anything. Though he could still fell his body, he knew death was approaching. It was like…a feeling. He couldn't actually _feel_ death knocking down his door, but his body was slowly shutting down.

But suddenly, white-hot heat raced through his chest. It was not uncomfortable, but so comforting.

Raven was healing him. And, just as he had felt his life slipping away, he felt it being pulled back. It was the strangest feeling he had ever gone through. It was like his very soul was being guided back to his body…he didn't know if it had ever left, but he was in a strange world now that was located between life and death.

And then, all of the sudden, he felt his muscles mending together. That hurt. Unconsciously, his body arched against the pain, but Raven never stopped healing him.

Beneath her palm, his heart stopped. Swallowing a cry, Raven closed her eyes and willed her entire soul into her hands. She would gladly give her life to heal him. Her life was meaningless without him. Slowly, his heart started to beat. But it was so slow, too slow for comfort.

Grinding her teeth against the oncoming weakness, Raven let her mind drift to his wound. It was…strange, but when she healed someone, she could transport a part of her and assess the damage done. Like with Robin, when he had broken his arm. The reason she had told him she could only heal it minimally was because she saw the injury done. It was…strange.

But now, as she assessed the damage done to Beast Boy's chest, she found that his assumption had been correct. The bullet had grazed his left lung, but the wound was deep enough to fill the organ with blood. If she didn't hurry, he would literally drown in his own blood.

Although the outlook was bleak, she would heal him. She was becoming weaker as she worked on mending his lung, and, she knew, that when he was healed, she would not be able to use her powers when Marty awoke. The only way to recharge was to mediate, and she had no time for that. But healing Beast Boy was more important than escaping.

The only thing was, once she managed to rid him of the large amount clogging his lung and heal the bullet graze, she would not be able to heal the rest of him. His wound was too serious to completely heal, and just healing his lung was killing her. Not literally, of course, but she was getting so weak. His breath was shallow now, but with his lung cleansed, he would survive. That is, unless he bled to death, which was a big possibility, for the bullet had exited from the back. With her very last ounce of strength, Raven managed to close the back of the wound. He still bled, but he would survive.

Raven let her eyes open. He was unconscious, but breathing. And, thankfully, with his animal DNA, he would heal himself. Raven let herself collapse beside him, ignoring the fact that his blood soaked through her clothes.

With extreme difficulty, Raven pulled herself to her knees. It was weird how that managed to be the most difficult thing she had ever done…

Crawling to the nearest wall, Raven pulled herself up, leaning her weight against it when her knees collapsed beneath her. Damn. Her eyes drifted to Marty when he groaned, his eyes fluttering open. Almost immediately, they darkened to black. Oh, he was pissed.

Willing her body to respond, Raven pushed herself off the wall and stood straight. And was proud of herself for not falling flat on her face.

Eyes drilling into her, Marty pushed himself up, a growl escaping his throat. Briefly, his eyes cut to Beast Boy, and his mouth formed a cruel smirk.

"Little bastard couldn't handle me, huh? Got himself killed, leaving you all alone."

Raven let out a breath. Thank God. Marty thought Beast Boy was dead. Good. Now, she would not have to worry about him being hurt again.

"Why did you kill her?" Raven cursed when her voice came out weak, strained. Marty, of course, noticed, and threw back his head.

"Getting' weak, huh? And I had hoped that you would fight me. But, I guess it's only fair that I answer your question. I'm guessin' you're talkin' 'bout 'lil ol' Darcy, right?"

Now that he had shown himself, his voice had changed, and was thick with a country drawl. It was the most sickening sound Raven had ever heard. "Why? She was innocent."

He clucked his tongue. "Honey, you don't know the first thing 'bout Darcy. But…since your 'lil ol' honey-bun's kicked the bucket, I reckon I can tell ya."

Raven ground her teeth against the onslaught of weakness that ran through her veins. Oh, now was not the time to collapse. She needed to know about Darcy.

"Ya see, Darcy was havin' an affair with my son, Kenneth."

"She was in on it?" Raven asked, shock lacing her voice, making it stronger. "You're lying."

"Now, now, sugar, let me finish. She was havin' an affair with my son, but knew nothin'. That is, till she overheard out conversation 'bout our latest victim. That Harley girl, I think it was. We we're talkin' bout how you'd be the next one under us, and she went and told. She knew she was gunna die, so she just had to call you and tell you. But the little bitch did us a favor and didn't tell you who we were. So I give her credit for that. But my poor ol' son was so hurt…that is, till he got to maim her. Told me that it was the best thing she had ever done for him. Oh, but my baby boy does take after his ol' man."

"Son? You mean you had a son who helped you out?"

"My Kenneth did the dirty work. He did the kidnappin', and since I'm a good ol' dad, got first dibs in on the girl. Then, once we were finished with her, he'd beg me to let him tear 'em apart. Knows how to make his ol' man proud, my Kenneth."

"Who is he?"

"My Kenneth? Well, you'll find out sooner or later. But now, he's roundin' up that Harley girl. Said he wanted that one first 'cause she was the youngest and most feisty."

"He's a sick bastard, like you. Guess that sayings right. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"Why you little smart-mouth bitch. We ain't sick, just…different. We gots different ways to satisfy us. We ain't no different from other men."

"You rape and murder girls who haven't even hit puberty yet. You and your son are pedophiles of the worst kind."

Raven watched with dread as he approached her, gun held tightly in his hand. If he shot her now, she'd be through. She wasn't afraid of him, but damnit, she didn't like it when a madman waved a gun around.

With a smirk, Marty wrapped his large hand around Raven's neck, using enough pressure to force her against the wall and bruise her pale skin. His thumb traced the pulse pounding in her throat and he chuckled when she couldn't help but grimace.

"I've waited too long to touch you, Raven. It killed me to see you everyday, measure you for clothes, but never do what I wanted. But now, you're all mine."

Raven's entire body stiffened when he leaned in to kiss her, but she wouldn't pull back, at least, not yet. Oh, she might be weak, but she knew she had just enough energy to…

Just as Marty came close enough, Raven smirked, digging her fingers into the wall for support as she slammed her knee into his crotch. Oh, the pleasure. As he doubled over in pain, Raven lifted her leg once more and rammed her knee into his nose. She really hoped she killed him.

He sprawled backwards, cursing and yelling the whole way. Willing her body to respond, Raven ran slowly, but she made it to the door. And she stopped there. She had to wait until Marty got up before she ran. She wouldn't leave Beast Boy there with a killer even though the man thought him dead. For a brief second, her vision blurred. Shaking her head to rid of the dizziness, Raven looked up again. Marty was charging at her.

Had the circumstances been different, she might have found it amusing. But…when he lifted the gun, all amusement fled. Damn.

With a final glance back at Beast Boy, Raven fled, deciding that, even though she was weak, the stairs would be best. Waiting on an elevator while being chased by a madman wasn't the best solution.

But then again, if she did take the elevator, he would…no, he could just take the one next to hers, and meet her half way. But if she did take it, she would be on the first floor, and surrounded by people.

…Come to think of it, with all the noise, why had no one checked on them? Yes, so the gun had a silencer, but with Marty being chucked against the wall and bodies hitting the floor, shouldn't someone have heard? What if…he had…no that would be too obvious. Killing an entire hotel seemed…hard to do. And even if that were the case, someone would walk in, find dead bodies littering the floor, and call the police. Marty might be a psychotic pedophile, but he wasn't stupid. Killing an entire bottom floor of people and risking someone coming and calling the police was stupid. Maybe…hell, it didn't matter. All she needed to worry about was getting to Twain.

Using her shoulder to push open the door, Raven bounded down the stairs faster than she thought possible. Well, seeing as Marty was hot on her heel and shooting at her, she figured it was only natural that she was moving quickly.

Just as she made it to the garage door, Marty fired another shot. This one scraped her shoulder, but she didn't stop. Cursing, Raven fished out her keys from her pocket, ran to the car that Beast Boy and she shared, and climbed in.

Raven jerked when a bullet shattered the windshield. Glass showered around her, sharp shards slicing her skin. But all went ignored as she threw the car into drive and peeled out of the hotel, her tires screaming in protest as she hit the gas. Marty fired again, this time hitting the back windshield.

Turing the wheel sharply, Raven barreled over a curb, her car fishtailing as the tires slipped over the icy road. Raven felt a moments panic as she tried to control her car, and for a brief second she lost control, but managed to get the car back on track. Letting out a breath she didn't realizing she had been holding, Raven headed for Twain's place.

Her side throbbed painfully, as did her shoulder. Damn Marty for being gun-happy. She had no way of healing herself now, so she was going to have to do this the human way. Well, if she managed to stay conscious. With the weakness, the blood loss, and the anxiety of almost losing Beast Boy, she would be lucky of she made it to Twain's without crashing the car.

Thankfully, Twain had given them his address as they had headed for the hotel. She didn't remember when, but she had found it when she was dressing to get fresh air after her and Beast Boy's misunderstanding.

Raven swallowed hard as she recalled her last moments with Beast Boy. She let her eyes drift down to her clothes to find them covered in blood. And most of it was his. Closing her eyes briefly, Raven prayed to a God she had never let herself think of before. She had believed that praying was a useless waste of time, but now, she was begging, apologizing for not believing, willing to sacrifice her life, just to make sure Beast Boy lived.

Raven cursed when her vision blurred, but thankfully, Twain's house was now visible. Raven turned into the driveway so sharply that the vehicle was one the brink of overturning.

The minute the car settled, she hopped out and slammed the door, cringing when the window shattered. Running up the front porch, she pushed open the door, leaning against the frame when weakness threatened to bring her to her knees.

"Twain?" She called out, holding her bleeding side as she pushed herself from the doorframe. "Twain, are you here? I know who the killer is. Please, please be here." When nothing but silence greeted her, Raven groaned, half in aggravation, half in despair.

"No. Damnit, this can't be happening." Raven was halfway out the door when she heard it: A faint thump from upstairs. Raven's heart skipped a beat. For some strange reason, she thought of The Grudge, and grimaced. _This is not a horror movie; this is not a horror movie. When you turn around, there will not be a dead body crawling down the stairs. Damn Beast Boy and his Friday night horror flicks. _

Telling herself that she was being immature, Raven turned. And swore she would faint when a bloodied body started to crawl down the stairs.

"Jesus Christ, if Beast Boy makes it through this I'll kill him."

"Raven," came the horse groan from the figure. She turned around just to see someone slump down at the bottom of the stairs.

"Ethan. Oh God, what happened?" Immediately, Raven darted to him, flinching when she glanced up to find the thick trail of blood he had left behind. "Where's Hannah? Ethan, please, tell me what happened." As gently as she could, Raven picked up the teen's head and laid it in her hap. He grimaced, turned his head and spit out blood. Raven didn't allow herself to panic, for she noticed that his bottom lip was split and bleeding.

"That bastard took her," he snarled, his fist clenching. While he talked, Raven felt for wounds. Since his right shoulder and thigh were covered in blood, she figured that he had been shot twice. She couldn't heal him, but it didn't seem to be fatal. He would lose a lot of blood, but he would survive.

"Marty?"

"Who? That gay clothes designer? Is he behind this?"

"Yeah. He his. Now, Colt, tell me who took Harley?"

Ethan closed his eyes tightly. "We didn't hear anything at first. There was a noise downstairs, where Twain was, but we ignored it, because Twain is always tripping over Connor's toys. We didn't think this time was any different. So we ignored it, and went back to…well…"

"Making out?"

"Yeah, that. You see Twain's wife had gone to get their little kid, so it was just Hannah, Twain, and I here. But anyway, Hannah and I were together, and I wasn't paying attention. Suddenly, I'm being hit over the head with the butt of a gun. Everything just seemed to go by so fast. He reached for Hannah, she used her cast to kick him over the side of the head, but I'm still seeing double. But still, I tackle him; a gun goes off, hits my thigh—which, might I add, hit a little too close for comfort—and Hannah cries out my name. She grabs something, chunks it at him, hits his head, and runs to me. Damnit, if only I had seen it in time.

"There was a second one. I should have seen him; I should have been able to save her. But the one she hit stands up, points the gun at me, and fires. Thankfully, he had horrible aim, it only grazed my shoulder, but it was enough to keep me down. They…took her. They hurt her. Hit her. But she still fought. Damnit, one of them drugged her. I swear to God I'll kill them."

"There were two?"

"Yeah. I didn't see the faces, but one of them was tall, lanky. The other one was…God, I don't know. I was so worried about Hannah that I didn't even think about looking at them. Oh, God, Raven, I'm scared. I'm so scared that they'll hurt her."

She smoothed back his hair, her eyes soft. "We'll get her back, Ethan. But tell me, where's Twain?"

Ethan's eyes widened. "I don't know. When they came up here, I heard nothing from Twain. What if…what if they killed him? Raven, he should have come up there and helped us. I think he might be hurt."

Raven let out a heavy breath and let her eyes wonder to the door beside her. But as she tried to lay down Ethan's head, he grabbed her wrist. "Wait. Do you think that maybe…you could help me up? I want to be the one to see what's going on first."

"Alright." With much difficulty, Raven managed to get Ethan to his feet. The minute he was standing, he winced and faltered, almost falling face first. Raven caught him, grounding her heels into the floor when she almost pitched forward. Ethan shot out a hand to steady her, leaning all of his weight onto his left side. Once she was steady, he leaned some of his weight against her and they both slowly trudged forward. Occasionally, his good leg would give out, but they finally made it to the kitchen, where Ethan collapsed into a chair.

Already panting from the exertion of helping Ethan, Raven walked around the island counter, dreading of what she would find. But as she stood in the middle of the walkway, she found nothing. No mutilated Twain, or decapitated head, just a few drops of blood which trailed into a different room. For the first time in her life, Raven wished for her powers. If only she had time to meditate…

Raven paused in front of the white swinging door, her eyes trained on the blood that disappeared beneath the bottom of the door. Letting her eyes lift upwards, she studied the bloody handprint, which was smeared, as if someone let their hand slid along the smooth surface. Raven chided herself when her body quaked with fear, and pushed open the door.

She found Twain immediately and scurried over to him. He was on his stomach, blood seeping from a wound Raven could not see. His skin was ashen, and once she knelt beside him, she found his skin clammy and cold. Raven pressed a blood-caked hand to her mouth, closing her eyes briefly. He couldn't be…no, Twain would never allow himself to die, not now.

Surprised that she was about to cry over him, Raven moved her hand to press her index finger and middle finger to Twain's neck. Pushing down the panic when she felt nothing, she moved to his wrist, where she pressed her fingers again.

And let out a breath when she found his pulse. It was slow, but steady. _I guess I like Twain more than I thought. _Raven didn't know if she should move him or not, but figured that she needed to see his wound. She would have called Ethan, but he was hurt, and would not be much help. Carefully, Raven managed to get Twain on his side, coating her body in more blood. Raven flinched when he fell roughly onto his back.

Twain groaned, and his dark eyes fluttered open. His eyes were glazed and unfocused as he stared at the ceiling. Raven gently pressed her hand to his cheek. He flinched, but turned his eyes to her. Raven forced a small smile.

"How do you feel?"

Twain grimaced and closed his eyes, turning his head away from her. "Shoulder…hurts."

Raven's eyes immediately dropped to his shoulder. His simple green Jump City University sweater was dark with blood. His left shoulder was bleeding profusely and the cloth was riddled with bullet holes. Raven counted three.

"Call…police." Twain let out a deep breath and opened his eyes. They were no longer glazed, but his eyes were still unfocused. "Hannah?"

"Don't talk. You're hurt badly. They took her. Ethan's been hit."

Twain nodded. "Cell phone. Left pocket. Call."

Raven, almost hesitantly, searched through Twain's jean pocket, and found a simple black flip-phone.

"I know…I…trusted…how could…damn it." Twain coughed, but there was no blood.

Raven fumbled with the phone, trying to dial 911. But her fingers were so slick with blood that they slipped from the keys. Cursing weakly, Raven tried again. And then it hit her. Who had he trusted?

"911 emergency, how may I help you?" The woman's voice was soft, soothing.

"I have two injured. White Rose Killer attacked." Raven gently removed the cloth from Twain wound, cringing when he yelped in pain.

"Could you tell me the address?"

Raven repeated it, all while working on Twain's wound.

"I have an ambulance on the way. You said that the White Rose Killer attacked?"

Knowing that it was their job to ask information, Raven said, "This is Raven, from the Titans. We we're undercover to catch him, and now one of my teammates and two friends are—"

"Now, now, Raven, it's not nice to tattletale." Raven froze her weak body stiffening. That voice was so damn familiar…

"You might have lost my brother, but I can assure you, you won't get away from me."

Lance Ortega grinned and slammed the butt of his gun over Raven's head.

* * *

Yeah, okay, so usually, when I leave a cliffhanger (if this could even be considered a cliffhanger)I never write anything…but I need to say something…I finally got my car! It's a red, 2001 Volkswagen Beetle, with a sunroof…okay, no need to bore you on the details. And anyway, that wasn't what I was going to say. Okay, I have an outline for The White Rose: Petals of Blood, and I made a family tree of the Titan's children. (This includes Hannah, Colt, Mallory, and the rest of my OC, and yes, Cyborg and Bumblebee) and would you like to know how many children they have total? Thirty-one…But I think that I'll make like a preface, where I list all the children and occupations, crap like that before I post anything…but I haven't even started on it yet. This is just an outline, and it'll be awhile, since I have to get started on the Beast Within, so…yeah…that's all I wanted to say… 


	37. Chapter Thirty Six: January 20th

"Damnit, Beast Boy, why is it that every time someone needs you, you disappear?" Robin kicked the side of his car, cursing anew when, not only did his foot throb, but a new, noticeable dent appeared.

"Shit." Robin shoved his hand through his hair, glancing around the hotel parking lot. This had been the sixteenth hotel he had tried, and Beast Boy had not been in a damn one of them. There were seventeen hotels located in Jump City.

With an aggravated sigh, Robin climbed into his car, and marked off the hotel on the Jump City map. _Sixteen down, one to go. _Robin flicked on the radio, cranking it up as loud as it would go. HIM blared from his speakers, but did little to sate his frazzled nerves.

The early morning sun was starting to rise behind Jump City, the sky a canvas of orange and pink, with a border of midnight black. As he drove through the city, early morning couple jogged down the snow-covered sidewalks, bundled from head to toe in fleece and cotton. A few waved to him as he passed, but Robin was too tired to lift his hand in greeting.

He had wasted three hours searching for Beast Boy. Hours that could have been spent searching through the woods that Starfire had to be in. If it weren't for Beast Boy, Starfire might have been in his arms. It didn't help that Twain had demanded to go home when a thought had stuck him. Robin had no clue what the sudden burst of information had been, but he had been forced to go back to his hotel, let Twain get his car, and start to search for Beast Boy. In other words, Robin was not in a good mood.

Grounding his teeth against a yawn, Robin pulled into the last and final hotel. But he frowned. There were no cars here. Robin pulled around the back of the building and into the garage. Still nothing.

Parking at the entrance and leaving his headlights on, Robin hopped out of his car, flashlight in tow. After a brief glance, Robin realized that this hotel was deserted. Walking back to his car, his heart heavy, Robin reached for the door. His hand paused.

Maybe it would be a good idea to just walk around. Maybe there was something he missed. Sighing, Robin spun on his heel and walked back into the gloomy garage. Keeping the thin beam of light on the ground, Robin trudged forward, his mind racing. If Beast Boy hadn't been at the other hotels, and this one was deserted, where the hell could he be?

Could he be—Robin froze, his gaze jerking to the floor when glass crunched beneath his boot. Eyes narrowed, Robin crouched down. Shards of glass littered the floor, along side a tire track. _Someone peeled out of here pretty fast_, he mused to himself, rising once again to glance around the area. Moving along slowly, Robin searched for anything that would suggest someone escaping from here. If it were abandoned, why would someone race from a place? And why was there glass littering the floor?

Robin sighed. He was just overreacting. Tire marks and shattered glass didn't mean anything. This could have been from the sixties or something. It could be—

Suddenly, the garage door opened. Robin jerked, dropping his flashlight and reaching for his bird-a-rang that was strapped to his hip. He heard a mild curse, and a body dropping to the ground. Then there was nothing.

Body tense and ready to pounce, Robin moved forward slowly, a frown tugging at his mouth. He really wished he had a gun right about now…But the closer he got, the more he realized that the person lying there was Beast Boy. Even in the dark, Robin could spot the green skin peeking from beneath the tan.

"Beast Boy?" Robin asked feeling mildly guilty at blaming the boy for being unreachable when he noticed his teammate was injured.

"Marty," Beast Boy coughed, flipping on to his back and gazing at the ceiling.

"Marty? What about him? His he hurt?"

Even though dizzy with pain, Beast Boy managed a glare. "No, you idiot. Marty's the White Rose. He…ran after Raven. She's…weak…healed…me." Beast Boy took a deep breath. "Next time I'm one the brink of death, remind me to keep my big corny mouth shut."

Confused at the barrage of information, Robin helped the wounded Beast Boy to his feet. His eyes landed on Beast Boy's bare chest. "Jesus, Beast Boy. What the hell happened? And how the hell are you still alive?" Panic clogged his throat as he studied to entrance wound on his teammates chest. "That had to hit something vital." _Oh shit. Beast Boy's not going to…die, is he?_

Beast Boy coughed, pressing a clawed hand to the injury. "It did."

Robin felt his one of his worst fear cultivate before his eyes. He was going to lose one of his best friends…

As if reading his mind, Beast Boy said weakly, "Raven healed me. I…the bullet did hit something vital, but she healed me to where I won't die…yet. I'm still bleeding, but somehow, she managed to save me. But now, _she's_ weak. She…I don't know where she is. Marty ran after her. She's hurt, too, Robin. Badly. I think he hit her more than once."

"Hit?"

"Bullet. He…has a son, Marty does. Did the dirty work for him. So we're not dealing with just one sick fuck, Robin. We're working with two."

Robin ran a hand through his hair again. Marty was the White Rose? Once he thought about it, it made sense. But a son?

"Who could his son be?"

Beast Boy stumbled, but Robin caught him quickly, wrapping an arm around his waist while placing his arm over Robin's shoulder. He helped his teammate to the vehicle. Quickly, Robin went to the trunk and pulled out the first aid kit that Twain had added at when he got the car.

As Robin gathered the ingredients he would need to bandage his friend's chest and shoulder, Beast Boy answered through clenched teeth, "I don't know." His breath came out in a hiss when Robin poured alcohol over the wound, his claws digging into the seats. Robin couldn't help but flinch. Never before had one of his friends been shot before, so Robin didn't know what to do. He had dealt with broken bones and deep gashes, but never something so serious as a gunshot wound.

"Do you know where they are?" Beast Boy asked, trying to get his mind off the horrific pain that seared through his torso.

"You mean Starfire? Yeah, I do. But before we can go there, we need Colt, Wyatt, and Ethan. This is something we can't do alone."

Beast Boy managed a pain-filled smile. "The great almighty Boy Wonder submitting to help? Hell must be frozen over."

Robin frowned at him as he wrapped gauze around Beast Boy's wound. "Why are you here?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"This hotel is deserted. There wasn't a single car here when I pulled up."

Robin blinked when Beast Boy stiffened. Thinking he had wrapped the bandage too tightly, he unwound his previous wrap and tried again, this time gently.

"That's not possible. When Rae and I got here, there was a woman at the front desk. She had brown hair and was reading a thick novel…"

Robin frowned again, eyebrows creasing. "Beast Boy, that can't be right. This place was deserted. No one is here."

This time, it was Beast Boy who frowned. "Dude, Raven and I made lo—shit—uh, Raven and I were here last night. That woman gave us a key, and sent us to a room. It was neat, and gold, and there was running water and crap like that. Raven even gave the woman my name, and she typed it into the computer. I mean…hell, I don't know."

Beast Boy sighed, flinching when his wound pulled. "I swear there was someone here last night." He added weakly, lifting dark green eyes to Robin. "Why would someone be here when this place was abandoned?"

"Was someone here when you showed up yesterday?"

"I just told you—"

"No, I mean a car. Where there any vehicles around?"

Beast Boy's frown increased as he thought back to the previous night. "I…wasn't really paying attention. I was worried about Raven, because she was still shaken up about finding Darcy, and I was still freaking for the same reason, so I wasn't even worried about it. Raven didn't notice anything, either. Well, if she did, she didn't say anything. But no one was in the lobby when we came, just that woman. But there was a fire, and the furniture looked brand new. I even remembered thinking about sleeping on the couch instead of getting a room. The lights were on, and the elevators worked. This place was alive and kicking when Raven and I came."

Robin finished up Beast Boy's bandage, pulled of his black Old Navy hoodie, and handed it to Beast Boy, who took it gratefully. Robin paced while Beast Boy carefully worked the shirt over his head.

"This is strange. If this place is running, then why are there no cars? No lights? Nothing? Usually, hotels are always bustling with people. But when I showed up, no one was here."

Beast Boy rubbed a bloodied hand over his cheek, then moved his fingers to rub his temple. "Shit…I don't know what to tell you, other than there was a woman here when Rae and I showed up."

Robin sighed and reached for the discarded flashlight. "Tell you what…I'll go check around inside and—"

"Our car's gone."

"What?"

Beast Boy rubbed dried blood from the corner of his mouth. After a quick once-over, Robin found no cut or scrape anywhere near his mouth, which meant that either Beast Boy had bit the inside of his lip, or had coughed up blood. Robin mused with a sinking feeling that it was the latter of the two.

"The car Raven and I shared. It's not here. Maybe…she did get away. Maybe she went to find Twain. God…all this is happening way too fast. I mean it seems like just yesterday that we were called for this damn mission thing. And now, Raven and Starfire are gone, Darcy's been murdered, and Marty's the White Rose killer. Hell, to add to the plot, I almost died. I just…we've never really gone through something like this before. It all seems like child play, doesn't it? After all we did as a team, this case makes us look like amateurs. I just…maybe we're not ready for this sort of thing. You…you're lucky. If this team ever disbanded, you could go live a normal life. But for the rest of us…well, Rae might be able to pull it off, but I don't think the rest of us could. Cy and I are just too different, and Starfire's so innocent and naive…"

Robin's eyebrows drew together. "Beast Boy, where are you going with this?"

Beast Boy sighed. "I don't know. I still don't feel quite human yet. I'm just rambling."

But Robin frowned. "Not ready for what?"

Beast Boy glanced away from his teammate. "Ready to take on such big tasks like this. Yeah, we've dealt with Slade before, and other psychos, but this…this is different. This is life and death, live or die, fight or lose the one you love. It's…this is real, Robin. This isn't smalltime bank robbers and villains who call themselves stupid names like Control Freak. This is what real people face everyday. And we walked into this case thinking that it was going to turn out like the other one. Simple. Easy. Clean cut. Now I know Slade was never easy, but compared to Marty, Slade was like The Hive.

"We were never really injured when we took down past villains. Yeah, so we had a couple of scrapes and a couple of broken bones with occasional hits to the head, but now, people are _dying._ It's just scary. To know that this is the type of thing we need to be dealing with. To know that from now on, we might be stuck with this kind of thing instead of the Hive, or Dr. Light. This is what makes us heroes, you know? It was never taking down bank robbers, or high magicians who use magic to steal money. But being heroes will be what sends us to our grave." But then he smiled. "Sorry. Guess I can't take blood loss very well."

Robin searched Beast Boy's eyes, still thrown off about Beast Boy speech. What he said was true, yes, but what had brought it on?

Carefully, Beast Boy slid from the passenger side seat, his face contorting into a grimace.

With one final glance at his friend, Robin walked forward towards the garage door.

"Can I ask you a question?" Beast Boy asked after they had snuck into the building. Robin stopped briefly to pry a bullet from the wall. Holding it up to the light, he found the tip coated in blood.

"Yeah, sure, but tell me, when you came down here, was Marty shooting at you?"

"No. Marty was gone when I woke up. And so was Raven. But there was blood along the wall. And it wasn't mine. It could have been Marty's but…" Beast Boy trailed off, plucking the black bullet from Robin's fingertips. He sniffed it, once, twice, then shoved it back into Robin's hands, his eyes darkening.

"It's Raven's," he muttered darkly, unconsciously covering his wound with the palm of his hand. He flinched, couldn't help, and felt the warm stickiness of blood against his palm.

"Damn," Robin cursed softly, and took the stairs two at a time. When he made it to the first door, he pushed it open. They walked down a narrow hallway, using the thin beam of light from the flashlight to guide them. The hallway branched off, and they decided to take the right door at the end of the left hall.

The door led to the lobby, which, much to Beast Boy's dismay, was empty. A fire no longer burned in the hearth, but the furniture sprawled across the room looked brand new. The early morning light streamed through the bare windows, casting shadows along the walls. Some pictures littered the floor, but the rest were covered by a white cloth and leaned against the wall.

"I don't understand. This morning I stormed out of here, and didn't even think to look around at the place. The door was open when I came back, too. This…doesn't make any sense. "

Spotting the main desk, Robin walked over to it, and, holding the flashlight between his teeth, started to rummage through the paperwork littering the desk. While Robin delved in the desk, Beast Boy let his eyes roam around the large room. How could this place have been abandoned the whole time?

When Raven and he had stopped here, they had never paid attention to the cars, but they had stayed here, made love here. This made no damn sense. If this place was abandoned, why had that woman given them a key? Why had she been here when the place was empty? Why was she not here now?

"There's nothing here. This damn computer doesn't even work." Beast Boy felt his heart drop. The woman had typed something in while Raven and he had stood by. Had it all been a hoax? And if so, why? Why would she lie and give them a key? Why would everything be working, yet be abandoned at the same time? And if this was all a ploy, what where the chances of the actually coming to this place? There were dozens of hotels located in Jump City. So why had they come to this hotel, when it seemed uninhabited?

Beast Boy groaned when a headache pounded at his temples. "Why?" He asked softly, more to himself than Robin. "Why would that woman give us a key if this place was deserted?"

"Hell if I know." Robin came around the desk and stopped beside Beast Boy. "I'd say that this had something to do with the White Rose killer, but that wouldn't make any sense."

"I know. This…shit, I don't understand."

Robin sighed. "Why don't we check out your room and see if we can find anything."

Together they walked to the room Beast Boy and Raven had shared. As they walked down the hall, Beast Boy noticed that the walls were painted, yet completely bare. That was strange for a hotel…

Robin had gawked at the amount of blood covering the floors, and briefly wondered how the hell Beast Boy had survived.

Beast Boy informed him, "Since I'm half animal, my wounds heal faster than human. And, with Raven healing me, she helped increase the amount of time it takes for me to heal. And also, the more blood I lose, the faster the healing process. Strange how it works."

Still shocked, Robin flicked the beam of his flashlight to the wall, and found out what Beast Boy had been talking about. There was a smear of blood against the far wall, and Robin had a feeling it was Raven's.

"Let's get out of here quickly and go get Ethan and the rest of them, okay?"

Beast Boy nodded, his eyes glued to the huge bloodstain on the floor_. I really should be dead right now_, he thought numbly. _If it weren't for Raven, I would be_. Which brought Beast Boy back to the fact that he never asked Robin his question.

"Would I be missed if I did die?"

Robin was so shocked at the sudden question that it took him a full minute to answer. "What?"

"I'm not a good fighter."

Thinking that the blood loss had messed with Beast Boy's brain, Robin said, "Beast Boy, I think we need to get you to a hospital."

Beast Boy shook his head. "Robin, I'm dead serious. I've never been good for this team, and I know I never will be. I'm just…a jokester, and not a very good one at that. I always seem to get the team in the worst binds, and—"

"Beast Boy, what the living hell are you talking about?"

He cursed softly, and pressed a hand to his temple. "Robin, I was scared. When I thought I was going to die, I felt so worthless. Everything that I did with the team came back to haunt me. If it weren't for me, Terra would have never gotten under our skin. Hell, even with the Doom Patrol I was useless. I…I'm tired of screwing up. And…well, I just wonder if maybe the Titans will do better without me, once this is all over."

Robin's glare was sharp, sudden. "You've never been one for self-pity, Beast Boy."

"Yeah, but I've never been on the brink of death and wondering if my friends would even care if I was dead or not. Once you think about it, the only real friend I had was Cyborg, and that was only because he wanted someone to crush at video games. Robin, think about it. I've always been a nuisance to you. Remember when those chemicals messed with my DNA structure, and I became a man beast? You were so quick to want to take me down, throw me in jail. Cyborg was hesitant to hurt me, but not you. You threw your little bombs at me without hesitation."

Robin blinked, eyebrows drawing together. "I thought you had hurt Raven…"

Beast Boy plowed his fingers through his hair. "That's the problem. You never had any faith in me. You were always so quick to knock me down."

Robin ground his teeth together. "Damnit, Beast Boy, why are you bringing this up?"

"Because I don't want to end up dying and knowing that the people I thought friends didn't care." Sighing in defeat, Beast Boy chewed on his thumbnail. "Just forget I said anything. Blame it on blood loss, or whatever the hell you want. I just want to find Raven and go home where things make sense."

Robin watched while Beast Boy gathered his things. Their strange conversation was still bothering him, but he had more important things to worry about.

"Beast Boy," Robin said softly, "I'm going to go check on the other room…hey, Raven stayed in here? With you? Like…in the same room?"

"Yeah, what of it?" Beast Boy snapped, his eyes unconsciously drifting to the rumpled bed. His face heated.

"Uh…you didn't…uh, did you?"

Beast Boy said nothing, just continued to gather the clothes Raven and he had discarded earlier. Robin caught sight of the rumbled clothes and cleared his throat.

"Well…"

Beast Boy's glare dared him to say something else, so Robin snapped his jaw shut. Beast Boy and Raven…? Whoa.

"So, uh…" Jeez, what do you say when you find out two of your best friends are sleeping together?

"Robin, it's no different than what you and Starfire had going. Raven and I just…took it a step farther. Dude, you look a bit pale."

Robin opened his mouth, shut it, then shook his head and walked off. He seriously didn't want to think more about the Raven/Beast Boy romance, so he busied himself with knocking on doors. After a brief rap against each door, Robin frowned. No one answered. Knowing the doors would be locked Robin reached for the handle. And blinked when the door opened.

"Well I'll be damned." The floors were covered with a plastic paint-spattered sheet, and along the back of the unpainted room were ten pain cans. The farthest wall was painted a dark burgundy, but at first glance, the wall looked black. Rubbing the back of his stiff neck, Robin lifted his flashlight and searched the walls. It didn't take him long to find a discarded piece of paper. Crouching down, Robin picked it up and read:

Coming soon:

McRyerson and Son Inn

Under construction

Owned by Charles McRyerson and Son

Grand opening—not decided.

Room to be stripped, painted, carpeted.

Grand Total: $546,643,690.00

Tax included.

Robin cursed softly at the total. Who the hell in Jump City could afford a hotel that cost five hundred and forty-seven million? The only one who could would have been…

"The mayor." Robin folded the paper and slid it into his jean pockets. But if the mayor did own this hotel, then who was McRyerson and Son? Maybe… Robin sighed and walked out the door. Hell, he didn't know. None of this seemed logical. If this hotel did belong to the mayor, or whoever the hell McRyerson was, why would someone be here and let Raven and Beast Boy into a room? Why? It made no sense. And, if that were the case, what were the chances of them coming to this exact one? Was it just a coincidence?

Nothing seemed right anymore. When you find out who a killer is, isn't it all supposed to unravel immediately? But now everything just seemed even more confusing.

Beast Boy was leaning against a far wall, his mouth set in a frown and his palm pressed against his chest. Robin opened his mouth to tell him that he needed a doctor, but Beast Boy shook his head. "The quicker we get this done, the better."

Robin wanted to argue, but he knew that Beast Boy could be more stubborn then him. "Let's go get Ethan and Twain first. They're only a couple of miles from here. I don't know where Colt and Harley are, but I'm sure Twain does, so we go get them next, and since Wyatt is so far out in the damn country, we'll get him last. Then, we'll go from there, alright?"

Beast Boy nodded and dropped his hand limply at his side. "Have you found out what this place is?"

They walked back they way they came, and Robin showed Beast Boy the flyer.

"Who the hell is McRyerson?"

"I don't know. None of this adds up."

"That's the understatement of the year," Beast Boy muttered under his breath, and pushed open the stair door.

"Hello, Handsome."

Robin's entire body stiffened at the sound of the syrupy voice. Oh dear God, he knew that voice…

"Is that who I think it is?" Beast Boy asked numbly, and both men turned to face the owner of the voice.

Rebecca grinned and pulled off her brown wig, cocked gun aimed in their direction. "I told you that you would regret ever rejecting me, Robin."

* * *

Yes, I know, I know, I'm a horrible updater, but the thing about this is (brace yourself, another excuse) I hate this chapter. I don't know why, but of everything I have written, this is the worst. I'm so sorry if it's confusing, and doesn't make any sense, but I swear everything will add up later. So…yes, the chapter was utterly horrible, Beats Boy was OOC, and I promise no chapter will ever be as bad as this one. But hey, nothing's perfect, right? 


	38. Chapter Thirty Seven: January 20th

I know it's been awhile since I've updated, and the one-year anniversary of me posting this story has already come to pass, but the end is drawing near fast. (Ooh, that kinda rhymed) I hope that this chapter clears up all the confusion I leftin the last chapter. If not, email me and I'll give a summary to you. By the way, I don't know if I've mentioned this, but I have a new email address. I haven't had time to change my bio, but I will later. My email address is no longer Wall-Mart connect so I shall change that later. I hope this chapter does not confuse you more than you already are.

* * *

Pain seared through his body, but he ignored it as he pushed his weak body up. The hot burn of betrayal kept him strong as he got to his feet. Twain was pissed. No, he was beyond pissed. He was furious, and slightly hurt. One of his best friends had gone behind his back and fucked up everything. But what Lance Ortega forgot was that no one messed with Alexander Twain.

He refused to stumble as he made his way to Ethan, who was sprawled out on the ground. The moment he staggered was the moment he gave up, and dammit, that was not going to happen. He would be damned if he let Ortega win. That sick bastard would pay.

Twain crouched beside Ethan's prone body. After a brief once over, he found that Ethan was knocked out either because he had bled too much, or the bloodied knot on his left temple. Twain figured it was the head wound.

Lightly, Twain poked a long finger at Ethan's head, avoiding putting pressure on the wound. "Hey, kid, get up." Nothing. Seems he would have to take things up a notch. "HEY KID, GET YOUR SCRAWNY ASS UP SO WE CAN SAVE YOUR GIRLFRIEND!"

Ethan groaned and opened his bright eyes. "Dude, do you have to be so loud?" He got to his knees, biting back a moan when white-hot pain raced through his thigh.

"It's the only way to get you up."

Ethan struggled to his feet, his eyes narrowing on the bright stain of blood on Twain's shoulder. "We need to get you to the hospital."

Twain's mouth thinned. "I have some unfinished business to take care of before I go there."

Ethan sighed at the older man's pigheadedness. "Whatever. But if you pass out, I'm not carrying you."

Twain scowled. "Same goes for you, kid."

"So what do we do?"

Lex lifted his good shoulder in a shrug. "Find Robin."

"Alright, then what?"

Eyes narrowed, Twain snapped, "Find the others. Now don't ask that stupid question again. I don't have everything planned right now."

Oh, that man could drive a saint to kill. "Fine," Ethan bit out, his hands tingling to strangle the stubborn detective. "But we need to get our wounds bandaged the best we can unless you want to barge into wherever the hell they are and fall flat on our face. I'm sure Hannah would love that," he added under his breath with a scowl.

Twain mumbled something incoherent as he strode slowly to the kitchen to fetch the first aid kit. Ethan hobbled in after him, pain evident in his eyes. Twain had to admire the kid, his face was impassive and you had to stare to notice he was limping. The kid was strong, but Twain figured it was the thought of the blonde that kept him going. Whatever. Teenage romance annoyed him.

"Run up into my room and pull the rug up. You'll find a couple of loose boards. Loosen them and get all the weapons you can and bring them back here, got it?"

Ethan turned to do as Twain commanded, but he added, "And be careful. My wife will kill you if you hurt her guns."

He blinked. "Oh…" With a confused tilt of his head, Ethan hobbled up the stairs to do as Twain bid. He wasn't fond of guns, but he would be damned if he was caught off guard again with no weapons at hand.

Downstairs, Twain leaned his head against the wooden cabinet, all of today's mishaps catching up with him. It made sense now that Lex knew who was behind this. It had been Ortega's idea to call on the Titans, Ortega's idea to put Marty on the case. Had the Titans always been on the White Rose's agenda? Or had the Titian's just found out too much too soon? Either way, Lex had unintentionally thrown the teens to the dogs. He had no idea if those girls were dead, hurt, or beaten. All he knew was that it was his fault for letting things get this bad. He should have known that one of his officers was behind this. He should have known to never take Ortega's advice about bringing five teenagers into a mess like this. He should have been able to protect them, even though he had no idea what was happening behind his back.

If he survived this, Twain didn't know if he could go back to work, knowing that one of his best friends might be deceiving him. It just…wasn't worth it anymore.

"Alright, I found two .38's, about a dozen other guns that I have no idea what they're called, holsters, bullets, wicked looking knifes, and a collection of cool looking things that I have no idea what they are. Hey, are these brass knuckles?"

Twain straightened at the sound of the teen's voice. "Yeah."

"Cool," Ethan said with a grin as he dumped Kate's entire stash on the island. "She sure has a butt load of guns. Now why would you let a pregnant lady have guns?"

Twain shook his head slowly and then it hit him. If Kate hadn't gone to pick up Connor…dear God. A new, blinding rage built within him, but he held it down. Now was not the time to overreact, he would save that for when he found Lance.

Twain reached for the nearest gun and checked to see if it was loaded. "You know how to holster up?"

Ethan eyed the weapons. "What do you think?"

Twain sighed as he strapped a holster over his good shoulder. "Give me a sec and I'll do it for you."

While Twain strapped various knifes and guns to his body, Ethan picked up a slim, sliver gun. It was heavier than he thought one would be. He ran a finger over the sleek metal, truly wondering if he would have to courage to shoot it.

_When it comes to Hannah, I'd do anything… _Ethan frowned.

"Alright kid, I know you have no idea how to shoot a gun, so listen carefully. You might want to write this down. Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Alright. Now…here it is. Lift, aim, fire."

Ethan frowned at the older man when he grinned. "S'all there is to it."

"Don't you have to cock it or something?"

"Yep."

Ethan waited patiently as Twain slid the holster beneath is shirt. "Are you taking any of those knives?"

"We're taking everything. With the knives, all you have to do is slice. Doesn't matter where. Once you do, your opponent will either rear back in pain, or be thrown off guard. Then, you attack. If you want to kill, aim for the neck. If you want to immobilize, thrust it into a shoulder, thigh, arm, or chest. Okay?"

Ethan nodded in understanding. Just as Twain was about to instruct something else, the living room door slammed open. Ethan watched in amazement as Twain withdrew a gun and aimed at the closed kitchen door. Ethan never saw the man move.

Sound could be heard from the living room. Whoever it was stumbled and fell with a thud. Twain mouth turned down into a frown as he stalked foreword. "Stay behind me," he said softly, and pushed the door open with his shoulder.

Ethan recognized the heap on the floor immediately. "Colt?"

Ignoring Twain glare, Ethan shoved past the detective to kneel on the floor beside the wounded teen.

"Damn," Colt said softly and tried to push his weak body up. Ethan helped him best he could, grimacing when the movement pulled at his thigh.

"Ortega…yeah, I think it was Ortega, attack us. Took Harley and hit me over the head with the butt of his gun. Dammit. I never even heard him coming. One minute I'm arguing with Harley, then she's telling me to move. I do, Ortega pops out of nowhere, and aims that stupid gun at Harley. I attack, we roll, he hits, and I'm out. Woke up and Harley was gone. There was blood, but I don't know whose it is. Waylin gave us your address incase we needed it, so I borrowed a car to get here."

"Borrowed?" Twain asked with a raise of a dark eyebrow.

Colt was sitting up now, delicately touching the bloodied knot on the back of his head. "Hey, they knew I was taking it. I gave them my number, told them to take a picture, and swore I'd bring it back. If not, they could call the police and tell them I took it. Such a nice elderly couple."

"You took a car from a poor old couple?" Twain shook his head. "Whatever."

Colt managed to stand without too much trouble, though his vision did blur and he almost tripped over the table he had knocked down.

"Alright, we have two down, three to—"

"Dammit, I refuse to sit around while that bastard has Mallory! Twain, get your lazy ass in gear and—oh…there you are." Wyatt burst into the room, completely ready to kidnap the detective to get Mallory back. But what he found instead was three very bloodied and beat-up men with rage leaping in their eyes.

He blinked. "I missed something, didn't I?"

* * *

Raven couldn't remember the last time her head had hurt this bad. It pounded relentlessly, causing her to groan in pain. Ooh, when she got out of here, when she could actually feel her body, she would made Lance Ortega pay. Although Harley had not been kidnapped, Marty had taken off the mask and reviled himself to be a part of the White Rose killings.

Beside her, Starfire tried to console the livid half-demon. "It will not last long, Raven. I can now feel my legs, and it has only been…oh, I fear that simple logic will not help."

Raven frowned at the ceiling. "Who all is here?"

"Well, I am, as you know," Starfire stated.

"You know I'm here, seeing as I was stupid and followed after Starfire, but then, it wasn't stupid, because well, she might have been—"

"Okay, Mallory's here," Raven said dryly.

"I'm here." Hannah said softly, her voice gliding over the walls.

"So, is Harley here?"

No one answered. "Maybe she won't be found—"

"Damn it, why is it that we had to get the ones who put up a fight?" Lance Ortega mumbled as he hefted an unconscious Harley over his shoulder. "I think she cracked a rib." His voice was riddled with pain as he dumped her onto a slab of rock and secured her hands and feet with metal cuffs.

From the corner of her eyes, Raven could make out the waterfall of blonde hair. "Well, guess the gangs all here."

"You couldn't be more right," Lance said with a laugh. "Now, we can finally get rid of you."

"Actually, we have to wait for Kenneth and Rebecca. She said she wanted to watch us rape them."

Starfire face contorted in a scowl. She knew good and well that the said Rebecca wasn't—_couldn't_—be the Rebecca that took Robin away from her, but she hated the name nonetheless.

"She said she was going to take that stupid Boy Wonder out before she came. So—"

"Do you speak of the Rebecca who manipulated Robin?"

"Yes, I speak of the Rebecca who fucked your little Robin," Lance drawled, and Starfire guessed it was his hand that trailed along her calf. Starfire resisted the urge to draw back. No, she would wait to attack when they tried to rape her or another one of the girls. With the drug worn off and her anger simmering, she had to calm herself before she ruined everything. Some low comment about Robin would not send her over the edge. She was over Robin and no stupid remark would make her risk the life of her friends. So, she allowed his finger to trial over her skin, allowed him to think she was weak. She would get him back later.

"How? _Why?_" Raven was confused. How the hell was that little tramp involved in this? Would the twist and turns never cease? Raven grimaced as her side throbbed in pain. Damn Marty and his stupid gun and damn him for hurting Beast Boy.

"My daughter has a little…wild streak in her, I'd guess you'd say. She, uh, loves manipulatin' people. Ya know," Marty said with pride, "t'was her idea to start the White Rose bit. The first little girl we raped was one of her best friends. Said she was prettier 'en her, so she went out, kidnapped her, and told us to rape her. 'Course, we had no complaints, so we did. But after we were through with her, we didn't know what to do. So, we called my brother, and he helped us out. He came up with the idea of killing her, but my little Rebecca said to kill her, then leave a white, un-bloomed rose next to her body. Said it was since the little bitch was so high and mighty and virginal. And that's how we came up with the White Rose killings. My Becca hates virgins, so we would kidnap 'em, rape 'em, and murder 'em. But it was Kenneth's idea to kidnap girls with long hair, and Ortega's idea to keep them for three weeks.

"Ya know, we never would have involved the Teen Titans if it wasn't for Rebecca. For some reason, she just hated you, Red. Said that you were too fucking innocent for your own good. And so, we planned. We would have only killed a handful of girls, but we figured that the more we killed, the more you would be drawn in. We were supposed to stop at Hannah. The mayor paid us big bucks to get her. Hell, he gave us an entire hotel; let us use his woods to hold our victims, just to get the little bitch."

Marty sighed. "Since he's my daughter's lover, has been since she was thirteen, he came to use for help. Said he wanted his stepdaughter. He swore that he couldn't have her the way he wanted because Ethan was there, so he planned with us. He knew she would run away after he beat her, so we followed her. We promised not to rape her until after he had, so we had to wait. That pig took his sweet time, so I got tired. Tried to take her, but I got a stupid phone-call from Kenneth, and she got away."

Hannah was beyond sick. The mayor had…_wanted_ her? It had all been his plan to kidnap her. But why? Why would he conspire with his young mistress's family to kidnap, rape, and murder her? He could have done it in his own home. No one would have ever questioned why she was dead. Back then, not even Ethan…

"But why?" She asked softly. "Why would his mistress let him have me?"

Marty sighed again. "I don't know, really. She really loves that fat pig, so she would do anything to please him. Anyway, I think she wanted a piece of you when he was done. For some strange reason, my baby girl always wanted a women to fu--"

"Alright, that is something we don't need to know. How about you keep that little bit of info to yourself. We really don't need to know that your daughter is a bisexual." Raven said with disgust.

Hannah grimaced.

"But what does Mallory and Harley have to do with this?" Starfire asked.

"I wanted Harley to get back at the bastard, Waylin." Lance sneered. "Him and Twain always got the lime light, so I figured that with his daughter a victim of the White Rose, he would be in a full blown rage, making him a easy target. Once he was gone, I would have taken out Twain and that little bitch of a wife. He was the one who killed our father. Dad only wanted to kill that woman because she figured out too much, but Twain showed up like a fucking knight in shining armor. He killed our father in cold blood."

Raven scoffed. "He tried to murder an innocent woman."

"You wouldn't understand."

"I understand perfectly. Your father was a sick as you are." Marty hit her so hard that black dots danced before her eyes. Raven ground her teeth together as her head screamed in pain, tucking her busted bottom lip between her teeth to keep from crying out in pain.

"Leave her alone," Starfire snapped. "Your father was a horrible man, just as you are. That is no reason to hit her. If you are to take your anger out in someone, take it out on someone who can handle it."

It was meant to take the beating away from her, but Raven bristled nonetheless.

Ortega's voice was smug as he asked, "So you want all the anger to be taken out on you, huh, Red?"

"Yes," she ground out and took Ortega's hit without flinching. The side of her eyes throbbed, but she ignored it. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Raven open her mouth to speak, so she said quickly, "Raven is weak when it comes to physical pain. I do not bruise like she does. It is useless to hit if she cannot withstand it."

"Well, gee, Starfire. What oodles of confidence of you have in me," Raven muttered sardonically.

Starfire gave a little grunt. Marty sighed. "Lance, call—"

"Wait," Mallory interject for the first time. "Twain would have been obsessed with the man, right? So…would Ortega have the last name? Wouldn't he be pegged as his son? Twain would have never trusted you had he known that the man who tried to kill his wife was your father."

"Ah, but you see, I haven't seen my older brother in twenty years." Ortega leaned down and brushed his finger along Mallory's bottom lip. He barley managed to pull back as she tried to bit him. He scowled as he wrapped a hand around her slim neck. He added enough pressure to make it hard for her to breathe.

"My mother never claimed that Bruce McRyerson was my father. She ran from him when she was six months pregnant with me. I grew up without a father. She buried herself in illegal drugs and booze while whoring herself to pay for it. When I was twenty, I did a little research. Found my dad. He had already been arrested for a DWI and assault. I was training to be a police officer when I met him. At first, I thought he was a nut job. Marty, or should I say Charlie, was a bastard." Lance threw a grin at his older brother. "Already had two brats. Neither of 'em had the same mother, but the more I spent with them, the more attached I became. And then I was put under Twain's wing. He's three years younger than I am; yet got the detective job in no time flat.

"All he had to do was smile and the boss let him get away with murder. Bastard. Do you know that it was him who asked for Katelynn Donavan to be his partner? They fought like cats and dogs, of course, but he only did it because I was in love with her. He _knew_ it. He knew that I wanted to partner with her; he knew that I was going to ask, so he did it first. Thought that because his partner retired that he needed another one. Now, he'll say that he never wanted her to partner with him, but that bastard lied. He did it only because I wanted her.

"She had been on dad's trail for weeks. I didn't know it until they went on patrol together. Dad had to shoot her. She would have foiled everything if she caught him. So, he shot her, was so close to killing her, when Twain came in and killed him. Shot him six times. _Six. _That bitch didn't die like she should have. She survived, and has a fucking family with him. But that's okay. Twain's dead now. There was no way he could have survived three shots to the chest. I have a feeling that the mayor's kid didn't survive either. Pity. The mayor might dock our pay, but that's all right. So long as Becca and the mayor get the girl, he won't be too mad."

"So all of this is because Twain married the girl you loved?" Mallory scowled.

"A lot of it, yes. But it's mostly because Becca wanted to have Red and the gothic one, although she won't be too happy when she finds out the dark one is no longer a virgin."

"And how do you know that?"

"Oh, dear, you didn't know?" Marty drawled. "Pity. That hotel you were at is ours, given to us by the mayor. The girl you saw downstairs was Rebecca. It was pure luck that you ended up there though. We never expected you to show up. Rebecca was going to dress like that to fool Robin when she went to his apartment. But, thanks to Lance's smarts in technology, he installed a tracking devise to your car, so when you pulled up, she hurried to the front desk and acted the part. From the beginning, we knew exactly where you were. If you weren't in the car, your clothes told us your exact location. The clothes I designed would give us the location you were. It was stupid of you to walk the streets. The girls we kidnapped all had to do with Rebecca and her jealousy."

Raven ground her teeth together. "You haven't answered my question. How do you know about Beast Boy and me?"

"Camera's, child. We watched everything. For someone who seems so…bland, you sure are a hellion in bed." Raven closed her eyes in disgust. "Your little man has some muscles on him. He looks scrawny, but looks can be deceiving, I guess."

She felt Marty leer over her but refused to open her eyes. Disgust and humiliation crashed within her. They _watched_ her? How disgusting was that? Perverts watched the greatest moment of her life and she had no idea that she had unwillingly preformed for them. Great. Raven couldn't suppress a shiver. Nasty. Raven had the desire urge to chunk Marty against the farthest wall, but that would be useless. She would end up dying because she could not protect herself with the drug still fresh in her system.

"Awh, did I hurt your feelings?"

"Disgusting bastard," she sneered, her eyes glowing a deadly white. Marty just smirked. "Raven, you use your powers and I'll kill Mallory sow fast she won't have time to scream. How would you feel to leave an innocent child motherless because you can't control your temper?" Raven closed her eyes as she tried to reign in her temper. But Marty grabbed her chin in a bruising clutch, forcing her to face him. She jerked when Marty slammed his mouth over hers, the scab covering her bottom lip busting against the intensity. Before she could even breathe, he pulled back and wiped her blood from his mouth. He grinned. "Don't mess with me again, Raven. Next time, I won't stop at just kissing you."

Raven closed her eyes. God, she wanted nothing more than to slam him against the wall, but she would not put Mallory in danger. Her neck hurt, but she couldn't move it. Damn.

"Lance, get me the phone, now. I need to find Kenneth and Rebecca. I'm not going to wait much longer."

* * *

Rebecca cursed when her phone vibrated against her hip. "Raymond, do me a favor, baby. Tie them up while I take this call." She let her gun drop to her side as she reached for her phone

Rebecca let her eyes travel over the Boy Wonder and his delicious companion. She really didn't want to kill them. Robin had given her one night of the greatest sex she had ever experienced and the shape shifter seemed to know how to handle a woman in bed. She wanted to take him, maybe both at the same time, for a little joy ride.

Rebecca scowled as she answered her phone. "Dammit, Uncle Lance, I'm busy."

Robin watched Rebecca closely. His lips curled when Beast Boy rammed his palm into the mayor's nose when he got to close. Rebecca merely sighed as he hit the ground screaming.

"What? You've got all five? Well, I'll be damned. You haven't touch Red or the dark one, have you?"

Rebecca smiled slowly when the two men stiffened. "Good. Knocking 'em up a bit won't hurt 'em."

Beast Boy scowled as he listened to Rebecca's one-sided conversation. The mayor tried to get up, but Beast Boy slammed a foot into his beefy midsection.

"So Red's being the goody two shoe's, huh? Well, if she wants you to take you anger out on, then be my guest. Make sure you rough her up a bit before I get—"

Robin moved so fast that she barely had to time move. He slammed her against the wall hard, shoving his forearm against her throat. Her phone and gun dropped from her hands. Rebecca gagged and clawed at his hand. Her fake, manicured nails broke off as she fought against him, but it only caused him to shove hard.

"Tell me where she is," he snarled.

"Can't…. breathe," she gasped, black dots dancing before her eyes. He lessened his hold only enough so she could talk.

"What have they done to her?"

"Nothing…yet." She smiled slowly as she watched his eyes go from gold to brown in nothing flat. "You kill me, and they'll rip her apart." She let her eyes drifted to the open cell phone, where her uncle lay listening on the other line.

"Pick it up and talk to him," she said slowly. "Maybe he'll let you hear her scream while he fucks her." Beast Boy grabbed Robin's fist before he could hit her. The movement jarred his chest, but he ignored it.

"Robin, she's goading you. If you hit her, they will rape Starfire, and they will make sure you somehow hear, or see. Do not let her get to you. She's useless."

"They'll hurt her either way," he ground out, his fist tightening against Beast Boy's hand.

"I know, but maybe if you do what they want, they'll wait. Do not risk the chance, Robin. Let her go."

Robin's entire body shook with rage, but he managed to pull back. Rebecca hit the ground, grasping her bruised throat while she fought for breath.

Robin turned away and slammed his fist into the wall. When he jerked his fist back, Beast Boy couldn't help but peer into the hole. "Wow. See, now when I do that, all I end up doing is…bleeding. Dude, your hand—"

"What can I do to help her?" Robin asked softly, his mind numb to his lacerated hand.

"Nothing." Rebecca coughed as she pulled herself up. "There's nothing you can do. She practically died the minute she agreed to track us down." Rebecca reached for the phone.

"Uncle Lance, give me a minute here and I'll come and watch." She sidled close to Robin and ran a hand down the zipper of his jeans. "Rough Red up a bit for me, would ya? Bet she looks better with a bit of blood on her."

She smiled and slipped the phone closed. And the minute she did, Robin slammed her against the wall. "Big mistake, Rebecca," he snarled. "Now, you're family has to wait for you to get there."

Her eyes widened. "Raymond, hurry and—"

She made a little sound when she found her lover bound in the corner, unconscious while the adorable shape shifter rubbed his wounded chest. "Damn, that man had more fat than a pig."

Robin grinned, white teeth flashing against his sun-kissed skin. "You know, Rebecca, I have no qualms with killing you right now. But I think I would rather you suffer."

Robin grabbed the collar of her shit and threw her into her lover. "Come on, Beast Boy. We have to save Starfire and the others."

"Shouldn't we tie her up?"

"Yeah. But hurry. I don't want to waste any time."

"Alright." But as he reached for her, she lunged past him to get the gun that had fallen from her hands when Robin strangled her. She barely had time to fire when Robin grabbed her hand and jerked it behind her back. She screamed in pain, not noticing when Robin doubled over in pain.

The gun dropped from her grasp as Robin shoved her to the ground. "Beast Boy," he said, his voice husky. "Get her gun."

Beast Boy did as he was bid. "Dude, where did it hit."

"Upper arm, but it's just a scratch."

Beneath him, Rebecca was screeching. "You'll be too late! By the time you finally reach her, she'll be dead! My uncle knows when something is wrong. You're too late. All those little whores will burn in hell! They deserve to die!"

Her screaming was starting to give Beast Boy a headache. While holding his pounding head, Beast Boy asked, "What have they done to you? Raven and Starfire never knew who you were. Same goes with Harley and the rest."

"They have to die!"

"Why?"

"Because he wanted them! Because he would take me while thinking of them! All he could ever talk about was that bastard Hannah and those little bitch heroes! I'm supposed to be the only one he thinks about, not them! I'm supposed to be the prettiest, the sexiest, the one he thinks about every night, but my brother wanted them, not me!"

"B—brother? You and your brother—dear God, and I thought I had problems!" Beast Boy massaged his temples. "That is beyond sickening."

"Stupid, he's my adopted brother! Kenneth was adopted. My father will say that he is his full-blooded son, but he's not. But he's supposed to love me, not them. It's their entire fault! He had always wanted Harley Waylin. He had grown up watching her, so he would follow her. That is until that stupid cop and neighbor showed up while he was trying to have sex with her. Then, it was the stupid Teen Titan women. I don't remember, but one of them saved him when one of your stupid villains attacked, and he was in love. Finally, Hannah Carson came along. Since I was doing everything I could to make the mayor give money to us, he knew everything that went on in that house. He made me put cameras in her room so he could watch her. It sickened me."

She gave a pitiful laugh. "Did you know that it was my idea to kill the first victim? I took her from her home, was about to finally kill her, when he walked in, along with my father and uncle. They were confused at what I was doing. I told them I was jealous of her because the mayor wanted her, but that was a lie. Kenneth had wanted her, so she had to die. But since I had her, he wanted to rape her along with my father and uncle. I was pissed. But I stood back and watched as they raped that little whore. My father made a comment about how he loved taking virgins, and Kenneth said he loved long hair. So I came up with the idea to rape and kill virgins. They loved it. Ironically, I had jerked a white rose from the bitch's home, but Lance thought that would be the perfect way to make a statement. 'Leave a white rose behind with every killing'. And so it began. But they let me pick the ones who were to be the next victim. Everything Kenneth would look at one, I would take her, let him have her while I watched."

"And once again, he became obsessed with Red and the dark one. It was his idea to get them so he could have them. We were already popular as the White Rose Killer's, so Lance came up with the idea to make them go under cover in hopes of being kidnapped. It worked perfectly; all of it Raymond gets his little stepdaughter, Lance gets Waylin's daughter, and I get Red and her little friends. Kenneth can have her when I'm done."

Robin twisted her arms so hard the bone popped from its socket. With a shrill scream, Rebecca passed out. "Tie her up."

Beast Boy frowned down at the rumpled heap as he grabbed her by the collar to tie her up. But when he turned, the mayor was nowhere to be seen. "Rebecca must have untied him when you threw her into him."

"Dammit, he's gone to tell."

* * *

It took them less than five minutes to get to Twain's house. Robin's car was dented from hitting the side's of cars in his hurry to get the detective's home and Beast Boy looked worse for wear. They hopped out of the vehicle and ran into Twain's house.

"Twain, the mayor is going to tell them. We've got to—" Robin froze when he saw four angry and armed men waiting. Twain tossed him a gun, which Robin took without arguing. He took the offered holster and slid it beneath his shirt. Beside him, Beast Boy was strapping a dagger to his ankle.

"What took you so long?"

"Rebecca."

"The one who you slept with?" Ethan asked as they hurried from the house. They were piled into the SUV and swerving from the driveway before Robin answered with a brief, "Yes."

"What does she have to do with all this?" Twain asked, cringing when he turned the wheel too sharp and pain raced down his arm and chest.

Robin repeated everything he had learned from Rebecca, including the fact that it was the mayor's idea to kidnap and rape Hannah.

"So the White Rose killings was nothing but jealousy?"

"Yeah, and our women have everything to do with it."

"But what about Mallory?" Wyatt asked while adjusting his brass knuckles that he had to pry away from Ethan.

"I think Mallory was thrown into this because she was friends with Starfire. But now, they've added her into the fray."

"Lance wants Harley, right?" Twain asked, his jaw tightening.

"Yeah, because she's Waylin's daughter."

"Dammit. So it was all his idea to get the Titan's on this case. I can't believe I let this happen."

"It's not your fault, Twain," Beast Boy said gently. "None of us knew that we were walking into a trap."

He sighed as he raced toward the forest. "Still, this should have never of happened while I was in charge."

"But you weren't. Lance was. He had all this planned from the beginning."

Twain heaved another sigh."I guess. I just hope that we're not too late."No one objected as Twain sent his vehicle crashing into a small mailbox.

* * *

Confused much? I know I jumped from this, to that, then back to this, so it's perfectly understandable if I get some 'uh, what the hell are you talking about?' from a lot of people. But that's okay, I guess, for I can email you if you give me your email address…oh, and send it directly to me and not in the reviews, because they don't show up…that's one reason why I couldn't send that fanart to a lot of people. Oh yes, and because she had me laughing so hard at her little side notes, I want to dedicate this chapter to my beta-reader, Snea. 


	39. Chapter Thirty Eight: January 20th

**Beware of the freakishly long author's note that you are free to skip if you wish! Well, just read the first one, because it has something to do with the TWR, but other than that, I'm just ranting about Naruto. Also, I have decided to make The White Rose rated M, for the scenes get pretty descriptive, so if you are offended by rape, attempted rape, torture, foul language, or descriptions of blood, I suggest you skip all of the explicit parts. You've been warned, so don't flame me for not warning you. Also, I am well aware that Raven and Starfire have had plenty of time to use their powers, but under the circumstances, they are acting as any woman about to be raped would act. Just because they have non-human powers does not mean they are not susceptible to the feelings of weakness, fear, being overpowered, and/or a paralyzing effect in which they are unable to defend themselves. I, in no ways, have made them weak. I am trying to portray them, as most real women would behave were they in this situation. I am aware that Starfire is able to fight back, as well as Raven is capable of using her powers, but you have to realize that were they to use them at the wrong moment, they could potentially endanger the other women who are unable to defend themselves. They are not thinking of their safety, but of the other three innocent girls that are not as physically strong as the rest. Hopefully, this will explain the reasons in which Raven and Starfire are not using their powers.**

And now, for the free, human speech that does not warn people of everything possibly offending. Oi, it's so annoying to try and sound intelligent (which I probably did not accomplish):

Dude, I got to see a Maverick game on the 3rd! It was so damn awesome! They played the Charlotte Bobcats and won. Since it was a fieldtrip for Interact (a club that allows you community service for college) I had to sit with my class. Thankfully, I got to sit with Hailey, one of my old friends, and Daniel, one of the gayest men the world has ever seen. We fought who would marry Dirk. It was amazing, considering it was the loudest and most outgoing I have ever been in my entire life. I screamed and yelled and clapped like I was a completely different person. But anyway, I'm sorry for the long waiting period. I swear I am the worst updater Fan Fiction has ever seen and I know all of you agree with me. Oh, yes, and I have decided to do a character description of all OC's in this story, since there are so many. Do you think I should post it after this is finished, or now, like after I post this chapter? Either is fine with me. I'll also add a summary of all that has happened to clear up all the confusion. I think that I am going to go back and correct all the mistakes in this story that I can find. I want this story to be as perfect as I can make it, so I think that, if you want the truth, I'm going to repost every chapter with grammar and spelling corrections, up until the last few chapters where I had my wonderful beta reader. But that might have to take place over the summer, so...

On another note, I have a horrible feeling that I'm loosing my touch with writing. Ever chapter I write, to me, seems... unexciting and confusing, like I'm not clarifying it enough. I really hope that this is just my low self-esteem kicking in, but if I am losing my touch, well, I guess I need to try much harder, hmm? Anyway, just to ramble on more, I have another obsession. (Seems like I have a serious problem with obsessions...) But anyway, I have fallen head over heels in love with Naruto. I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but I figure I should tell you of it anyway. I have never been so damned obsessed with characters—Teen Titans doesn't even count, seeing as it is my entire life and nothing will change my love for it—from an animated show. I squeal and shove my parents out of the room when Naruto comes on and will not budge, even during commercials, when it's on. And, oh, the love I have for the characters! Sakura, eh, she was sort of annoying, but is now my favorite (female) character as her personality evolves. I love her in the manga, but I'm only starting on the chuunin exams with the anime, where she's still all squeal-y, weak and annoying with her love for Sasuke. Hinata is just too shy (she literally reminds me of, well, me, save for the whole fainting part. I blush every time a guy talk to me or makes eye contact, which isn't very often, seeing as I am way too shy to ever approach a guy, so I guess they take me as...weird...like Naruto thinks of Hinata...so I gotta love her, seeing as I can understand what she's going through.) Ino is sort of annoying with the whole Sasuke thing, but there's just something about her that keeps me from hating her. I guess it's because of the whole thing that happened between her and Sakura in volume seven. (At least I think its volume seven, where Sakura becomes brave and ends up chopping her hair off...) She's just someone that can be snobbish, but can be a really good friend when the time comes. Ino has a good heart beneath the harpy voice. TenTen is just kick-ass, which is the type of women I love to write about and admire. She's the kind of woman that doesn't need a man to protect her, though she isn't all manly with her actions. She's just a kick-ass girl with those same emotions as a woman. (Notice the kick-ass part was mentioned twice?)

Oh, and now the boys. My all time favorite is Shikamaru. He's just so...adorable, with the whole 'troublesome' thing. He's just...perfect. I love his pineapple hair and lazy attitude. And Sasuke, well, he's a little to angst and obsessed with the whole avenger thing, but he's good deep down. And anyway, it sets a somewhat troubled theme to the romance setting between him and Sakura (which, in my opinion, are destined for each other. I'd go into detail about it, but this is taking to long anyway, and those of you who are actually reading this are probably growing frightfully bored.) Neji is just completely hot for a cartoon character (as is Sasuke...ooh, I love it when Sasuke smirks...and his voice...way off Neji-topic here) He's a bit annoying with that whole destiny thing at first, but other than that...he's perfect. And Naruto. How can you not like Naruto? He's such a good person, and his personality is totally loveable, though the whole 'believe it' thing is a bit too much. He's the kind of hero that I love. He's far from perfect and actually has flaws like all humans do, but he believes in his cause and is determined to fulfill his dreams. And he so cute! Now, Kakashi is just cool. He's calm, collected, perverted, serious, aloof, perverted. You get the picture. And strange thing is, unlike Full Metal Alchemist (which I still love... at least, I love the manga), I understand everything. I even understand the jutsus and ninjutsus and things like that. That's very surprising for me. Even now with anime Full Metal Alchemist I'm lost, even though I've watched it every Saturday. But oh well. I'd go into detail about the couples (Sasuke/Sakura, Hinata/Naruto, Ino/Shikamaru, Neji/TenTen (and Kiba/Hanabi as a minor couple) but that would make this thing an entire novel. –grin-)

All right, if anyone wants to email me about his or her obsession with Naruto and want to send detailed information back and forth with me, please do. I'm a _very_ lonely teenage girl and need to talk to _someone_. Hell, you don't even _have_ to know about Naruto if you want to talk to me. I would love to talk to any of you about anything, be it sports, or idols, or English, or any other topic you can think of. I don't have IM, but I'm really good at emailing. So, please, send me something so I can talk to someone other than my chubby dog, Roxie. She ignores me anyway unless I have food, and I fear I am slowly becoming insane. So if you ever have a time where you have nothing to do, email me. You would make me a very happy person. Heck, if you don't like me, send me an email and tell me why. Just...even send me something as small as 'hi'. It's all I ask. I am being very annoying, I know, but when you spend your whole life standing in a corner and never talking or interacting with others, you tend to break at some point or another and just need someone to talk to, despite the whole shy factor. So, I figure its way less humiliating when you talk to someone over the Internet and screw something up instead of being right there when people laugh at your stupidity, so...yeah. But, like I said, email me.

Oh, and before I forget, I updated my bio, and added a new list of possible stories, if you want to check that out. There's a story I really think would interest you, but I have no idea what to call it, so if you have any ideas, email me. I have a serious feeling I have lost many a readers because of me email begging. –_sigh-_ So, thank you for reading this, and here is the next installment of the White Rose. (This author's note is three pages long -sheepish grin-)

* * *

By the time they made it to the forest in which their loved ones were being held, Twain had managed to run over twenty six mailboxes, destroy seven fences, sideswipe thirty-three parked cars, and have over three dozen pedestrians cursing and diving out of the way as he barreled down sidewalks. Strangely, they had not been pulled over.

Twain slammed on the brakes, jerking the teenagers forward, and quickly put the car in park. Colt stumbled out of the car, nearly tripping over his own feet to move far, _far_ away from the SUV.

"Dude, you drive like my mother."

Twain decided to ignore that comment. He adjusted his shoulder holster, cringing slightly when pain assaulted his chest. Beast Boy had just managed to climb from the overheated car when all four tires popped and the SUV plummeted downwards. Beast Boy and Ethan yelped while the rest jumped in surprise. Twain blinked at the smoke billowing from the hood before he marched away.

"Times a-wasting, boys. You want to save your girlfriend's before they're raped, right?"

Lex frowned when all five men darted past him, leaving him in a whirlwind of dust. "Hey, wait a second! You can't just go barge in there like some knight in shining armor! Damn. Fine, go ahead. Jump right into it. Then you can watch as they fill your women up with bullets...or something else I'm pretty sure you would want to do and _not_ the White Rose Killers."

Twain studied his bloodied cuticles, silently counting down. _Three...two...one..._

"Then what the hell do you suggest, old man?" All five teenagers stood before him, blood boiling in anger and annoyance.

Twain's eyebrow twitched. "First off, don't call me old man. I'm only fourteen years older than you are. Second, how about we find the cave first, then figure out—"

"I can smell their blood." Beast Boy sniffed the air. "I can't shape shift, so we'll have to hope my human nose is sharp enough to lead me to them. If I do shift, I'll rip my wounds open even further. I think I still have a bullet in my shoulder so if I do morph, muscles will grow over it, and then, well...it won't be pretty. I shifted before, but it damn near had me blacking out. " Beast Boy sniffed again, this time moving slowly forward.

"There's a mixture, but Starfire's is the strongest. It's fresh." Beast Boy let his eyes drift to the Boy Wonder briefly. His dark hair obscured his eyes, but his fists were clenched tightly.

"So...the smell's coming from the northwest, but it's faint, maybe a mile or so. I suggest we start moving in that direction."

They followed Beast Boy's lead, brushing past sharp branches that tore at clothes and flesh. Wyatt was forced to carry Ethan on his back, much to their displeasure. Ethan grumbled under his breath, a faint blush staining his cheeks. "I can't believe this."

"How do you think I feel?" Wyatt groused, leaning forward slightly. "Carrying you like a damn baby."

"Hey! This is not my fault, jackass! It was Twain's idea. _He_ said that I would slow us down so I needed to be carried."

"Then why isn't _he_ carrying you?" Wyatt snapped, glaring at the back of Twain's head. The older man ignored him.

Colt glanced at them, snickering at the sight. Pale eyes narrowed, Ethan reached out and slapped the back of his head. "Stuff it."

Twain sighed when Colt yelped and tried to hit the rich kid back. "Look, if this is going to be such a problem, then let him walk. It'll just mean that the White Rose Killers will have plenty of time to rape your women."

Wyatt's fingers tightened around Ethan's leg. "Ouch!" Ethan popped Wyatt on the back of the head in hopes that the dark teen would loosen up his grip. Wyatt glanced at the blonde teen with a scowl.

"Don't. Hit. Me."

"Well don't. Squeeze. Me."

"That sounded beyond wrong." Colt easily danced away from Ethan's fist, grinning like a loon.

"Not man enough to spat off and take the punishment, huh?"

Colt smirked. "Smart enough to insult you from a distance is all."

Ethan muttered darkly under his breath.

Robin watched the bunch with a small shake of his head. Although they were loud, brash, and overly...macho, Robin was thankful that they broke the stifling silence. It kept him from his dark thoughts.

"Jackass." Ethan muttered, loud enough for Colt to hear.

"Brat," Colt snapped, eye narrowing.

"Idiot."

"Moron."

"Asshole," Ethan growled.

"Bastard."

"...Shut up," Ethan yelled, pouting slightly when Colt howled with laughter.

"How much farther?" Lex asked, breaking up the verbal battle between Ethan and Colt.

"Starfire's scent is getting stronger. We're not far from them."

"Thank God," Wyatt murmured, jumping on the balls of his feet when Ethan started to slide.

"Wait. Just promise that you tell n_o one _of this." Ethan's face heated. "Especially Harley. She'll never let me live it down."

"Like Mallory would let me live down carrying a deadweight like you."

"Deadweight? I am _not_ a deadweight. If I was such a deadweight, I wouldn't be moving." Since Ethan had a good idea that Wyatt would drop him if he squirmed, he thumped him on the back of the head. "See, I'm moving. Deadweights don't move."

"Ethan," Wyatt growled, a vein ticking on his forehead. "Stop that!"

"Then don't call me a deadweight, stupid."

Twain sighed. "You two fight like a married couple."

"Hey, I'm not gay!" They snapped simultaneously. "I have a _son_ and a _female_ fiancée, thank you," Wyatt muttered.

"And I'm in love with Harley." Ethan frowned. "Well, at least...I think I am."

"You think?" Twain asked with a raised brow. "When you love someone, you know. There's no 'ifs,' 'ands,' or 'buts.' It's just there."

"Stupid," Wyatt said under his breath, shaking his dark head.

"Hey, I've never been in love before so I don't know how it feels."

"I never loved before Mallory either, but I knew."

"So that's why you shoved her away when you found out she was pregnant." Ethan said sardonically, forearms tightening around Wyatt's neck in case the dark teen decided to drop him. He grinned wolfishly when his plaster-covered forearm started to cut off air supply. Wyatt scowled and jerked an elbow into Ethan's ribs. His grip immediately loosened.

"I don't want to talk about that."

"Okay then. But I'm not as romantically smart as you are. I just slept with them."

Colt snorted. "'Romantically smart?' You're not talking about Wyatt, are you?" He ignored the frosty glare that Wyatt's threw him. "Dude, you don't have to be smart about it to know how love feels. Anyway, no one can tell you who you love. There's no symptom of being in love. You just know how you feel."

"How about we quiz you?" Beast Boy offered. His chest was killing him, so he figured that if he involved himself in something, he could take his mind off the pain.

"Quiz me? How?"

"Like...can you picture yourself without her in the future?" Robin asked, earning a few raised eyebrows. "What?" He asked with a shrug. "Just because I'm in idiot doesn't mean that I don't know what it feels like to love someone."

Ethan blinked before he answered. "Nope. I can try to picture myself without her, but she somehow always appears. Does that make sense?"

"Eh, coming from you, I guess."

Ethan glared down at Wyatt. "Next question."

"Can you see her with other men?" Colt asked, jumping slightly when Ethan barked, "NO!"

"Okay..." Blinking, Colt tried to think of someone else. "Well then. So...what else is there?"

"Dunno. Hey, aren't guys supposed be like...non lovey-dovey?"

"We are not being lovey-dovey, moron." Wyatt shook his head, earning a sharp glare from Beast Boy. "We are just males who are in love with our girlfriends, and are admitting it because there is a good chance we won't make it in time and could end up losing them forever."

Ethan frowned. "That's harsh, Wyatt."

"It's true. You think I like knowing that if we are even the tiniest bit late, there's a chance that I could lose Mallory and have Christian growing up without a mother?"

"Come on, don't say that." Beast Boy said, stepping over a thick, moss-covered log.

"Well, it's the truth."

"I know, but I don't like to think that a girl as innocent as Hannah could be harmed like that. There's a chance that she's already been...defiled, but if I think that, it'll slow me down. How much farther, Beast Boy?" Ethan grimaced when his wounded thigh gave an uncomfortable jolt.

Beast Boy sniffed again, his eyebrows draw together. "We have a serious problem."

"What?"

"I smell Rebecca's blood. And it's close."

"What?" Robin asked incredulously. "But we got here before her! She was tied up and unconscious when we left."

Beast Boy frowned. "Yeah, but we made a pit stop to pick them—," he jerked his chin in Twain's direction, "—up. She could have headed straight here. For all we know, she was never unconscious."

"But...dammit!" Robin slammed a clenched fist against a tree trunk, denting the thick wood, and, much to Beast Boy's annoyance, sustained no scratches or bruises.

"Aw, did my little bird think that he would make it in time?" Rebecca stepped from behind a tall, dead tree, strips of different colored cloth in her hand. She smiled down at them before she picked up a silk, white strip, running it between her fingers.

She smiled slowly. "Sorry, Big Boy, but you were too late. They've already had their fun. I must say the mayor's stepdaughter was by far the most entertaining victim as of yet. She fought like a wildcat." Ethan jerked from Wyatt's back and charged, eyes black with anger and pain.

Rebecca easily sidestepped Ethan's fist, slamming her knee into his side and cracking a good number of ribs. She was slightly surprised when he didn't even flinch. "But then again," she said softly, "the Teen Titan women pleased me to no end. Sad that you never got to taste what I did."

Robin's hit landed, sending her reeling back. But she just laughed. "Feel free to kill me, my little bird. It won't bring your virgin back." Gently, she pressed two fingers to her swollen jaw.

"Oh, how could I forget? Did you know that Waylin's daughter has a freckle on her right hip? It's so adorable. Lance had a field day with that." She blinked innocently, eyes sparkling when Colt bowed his head, shoulder's shaking in fury. "You didn't know did you? Well, darn. How shameful. I guess Lance really was the first man to touch her."

Rebecca sorted through the cloth until she picked up a pink strip. "Oh, and the mother. You know, it's strange. You would think that once a girl had a baby, she wouldn't be as tight as this one was. Strange.

"Now, whom did I leave out? Oh, that's right. The dark one. Now she was just a bundle of fun. But I'm sure you know that, handsome. You got to experience just how wanton she can be. Of course, she wasn't to happy with my father, but what can you do?"

She grinned at the group of handsome men before her. "So, it's all over now. You were too late. They are gone. And believe me, it made it even better that they couldn't fight back. Isn't it just wonderful that we paralyzed them, so not even strong ol' Red could fight us with her Amazon strength."

Twain, who had kept his eye on Rebecca the whole time, frowned and held out a hand to stop the five men who were close to attacking.

"What the hell are you doing? It's over. Starfire and the rest are gone, and all we can do now is kill her," Robin snapped hoarsely.

Twain shook his head. Confusion swept over Rebecca but she quickly masked it. "What's wrong, Pretty Boy?"

Twain smiled. "You're lying."

For the first time since Rebecca came to them, she faltered. "What? What are you talking about? I'm not lying. Why would I?"

"You're a bad liar, kid. Before, you said they were paralyzed. If that's the case, then how did they fight you? And, if they weren't, Red would have easily broken free, even of she was hurt. You haven't touched them yet."

Rebecca's dark eyes widened as her mouth opened, but no sound came out. She quickly tried to cover her mistake, but it was too late. All six pairs of eyes were on her, smoldering with contempt.

She smirked, but her eyes were alight with fear. "It doesn't matter. You'll still be too late. By the time you get past me, they'll be dead."

She backed up slowly when Robin approached her, flanked by four of the most deadly looking teenagers she had ever seen. "You w-won't be a-able to s-stop them."

Ethan, unaware that his earlier actions had ripped the bullet hole wound even further, stepped forward. Rebecca stepped backwards, her heel catching on a loose root. She tumbled backward with a shriek. She expected to feel the hard earth beneath her and closed her eyes against the pain she knew was to come.

It never came.

Instead, she was held tightly around the waist by strong arms she knew too well. She let out a sigh of relief and glanced up at Kenneth. "Thanks, baby."

Kenneth smiled. "No problem."

He took his blue eyes off of his lover/sister and studied the five teenaged men he had come to know _so_ well.

He smirked. "Robin. Beast Boy."

Robin's jaw clenched as he took in the features he had come to hate. "Jonathan."

* * *

Raymond Jones considered himself a smart man. When he entered this entire scheme, everything had been planned out: from Rebecca being his lover, to keeping the police force at bay. He had never expected everything to backfire. He never considered that his obsessive desire for Hannah Carson would send him into a plot that would jeopardize his entire career. If the media ever found out... He should have killed those stupid Titans when he had the chance. But instead, he was humiliated, tied up like some pathetic weakling, and then freed by the little whore who had been sleeping with her adopted brother while she still occupied his bed.

But that didn't matter. All he cared about now was getting rid of that little blonde who had caused all this trouble. Now, he didn't care if he ever got to rape her. He just wanted her dead.

Raymond cursed as he tripped over his foot in his rush to warn his accomplices. Branches ripped at his expensive clothing, dirt coating his two thousand dollar loafers. This was not what he wanted. All he had wanted was to rape that little bitch, kill her, and have the White Rose Killers blamed for it. Simple and clean-cut, right?

Nope.

Instead, that stupid little Bird-Boy had to ruin everything. Had he not dug so deep into this whole thing than all would have gone according to his drawn out plan. But here he was, _running_, to make sure the White Rose Killers killed the little bitch before that Bird Boy and Changeling got the chance to find them. Which, they probably already had, considering his luck.

Voices blended together ahead of him, causing him to pause momentarily. When he spotted Rebecca, he scowled. _Filthy little wench. _But a perfectly winged eyebrow rose when Kenneth stepped forward, catching Rebecca before she could tumble to the ground. The younger man glanced in his direction briefly with a small lift of his head.

So the brat had come to allow him to tell of the unwanted group and create a distraction, huh? At least the brat was good for something...other than incest, although Rebecca and Kenneth were not related by blood. But...still. How could you sleep with someone you've come to see as your brother?

Raymond shook his head as his thoughts veered from the main problem. Now was not the time to worry about incest and whatnot, but get to Marty and make sure Hannah Carson never made it to her seventeenth birthday. Maybe he could even persuade the man to kill the female Titans as well.

Raymond carefully made his way toward the cave, occasionally glancing behind him to make sure no one followed.

No one did.

Letting out a breath, the mayor walked into the mouth of the cave. He heard a feminine cry and realized that the two men were probably already starting to rape the girls.

"Ortega? McRyerson? We have a serious problem."

Raymond peeked his head in the dimly lit room. The few oil lamps scattered around did very little to help the smothering darkness, but he could make out the five stone slabs immediately. He heard the ripping of cloth and grinned.

"Which one are you starting on?"

Ortega glanced up from Harley Waylin, holding her ripped shirt in his hands. The light flickered, and Raymond could see that the only thing covering the girl's chest was a plain pale blue bra. Raymond walked closer, leaning his plump body against the wall as his eyes took in everything about the blonde's exposed torso. She was petite, her arms and stomach slightly muscled, but nothing too extravagant. Her pale stomach was completely flat with no traces of excess flesh on her silken skin. Freckles dotted her white shoulders as if the were sprinkled by an artist. There was a small mole on her left breast, just above her bra line and another was on her hip, half of it covered by the band of her jeans. All in all, the little wench was highly attractive. Her breathing was labored in fear, her small chest rising and falling rapidly. Harley's ribs were visible as she took in a shuddering breath.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on her," the redhead snapped, jerking Raymond's gaze away from Waylin's daughter. But she went ignored.

Marty, who was watching his brother run his hands down Harley's body, asked, "What's the problem?"

Raymond blinked, momentarily distracted when Lance slid Harley's bra strap down her shoulders, exposing the delectable mole. Harley breath caught in a small sob, but she refused to cry. Her small teeth bit her full lower lip when Lance's hands squeezed her small breast painfully.

Lance leaned down, his breathe hot on her neck. Harley closed her eyes tightly, unable to stop the tears that slipped down her cheeks. "You don't know how long I've wanted to do this," he said softly, moving his mouth to the side of her soft neck and biting the skin so hard that it bled. Harley's jaw tightened, but she made no sound.

"For years, I watched you, wanting you with everything I had. But your bastard of a father never let me near you. You were his little, innocent angel." Lance raked his long nails over her ribs, once again drawing blood. "He made me sick. Everything he did always ended up perfect: marrying a perfect wife, having a genius son, a beautiful daughter, and the perfect damned job. Everyone loved him. No one noticed me, what _I _did. Twain and he always stole my limelight. I was never noticed for anything." He put pressure behind his nails, scratching her deeply from below her right breast, across her already bleeding ribs, and down to her hip. "But now, I'm going to make sure your father regrets everything he ever did. I'm going to make sure he finds his little girl mutilated in the worst way possible. I'm going to tear you apart, Harley. I am going to damn sure that you pay for your father's mistake."

Harley made a small sound in the back of her throat, her aqua orbs staring at the ceiling while tears overflowed from her eyes.

"Back off, Ortega," Raven snapped. Her outburst gained the attention of Marty. He strolled over to her, letting his finger trail of her cheek before he drew back his arm and hit her. Blood filled her mouth as her teeth took a large chunk from her lip. The pain was horrendous, but her anger smothered it to the point where it was merely a sharp ache.

"You shouldn't worry about others when you should be worried about yourself." Raven's bloodied mouth curled into a scowl. It no longer mattered what happened to her. She would not allow Harley to be violated and murdered. The younger girl had a long life ahead of her. Raven was content now with the fact that Beast Boy loved her, and had given her things she never believed she would experience. She could die now with no regret...although she would have rather died in a less extravagant fashion...

Raven's sinewy body stiffened when Marty ripped her shirt off her. She was quite thankful she had put on a white undershirt beneath her sweater. Oh, what she wouldn't give to kill him where he stood. But she couldn't. She could, of course, do away with him with her powers, but if she hurt Marty, what would Lance do to Harley? He might not even think twice about killing the poor girl. And so Raven allowed her body to relax completely, not even jerking when Mary's vile hand caressed her from collarbone to thigh. Marty was not pleased at her reaction.

"Stupid little bitch," he muttered, moving away from her to stand beside Starfire. He reached for the bodice of her dress, but his hands paused. He turned to the mayor, who was watching as Lance crawled over the young blonde. Lance jerked her thighs open, laying his body across her.

Harley, unable to move, closed her eyes tightly. "Ray, hand me that scalpel that's lying next to one of the lamps."

The mayor did as he was commanded, hading the small blade to the police officer. The man immediately sliced a long, deep line along the girl's inner thigh. Harley couldn't help but cry out in pain.

The mayor smiled, eyes traveling to the seed of his problems. He was moving towards Hannah when Marty asked, "What did you need to tell us?"

Raymond's eyes widened in horror as it dawned on him. Duh! He was supposed to have told them about Bird Boy!

"They're here!"

Lance slid the scalpel vertically over Harley's bottom lip, literally slicing it open. She whimpered. He paused momentarily. "Who?"

"Bird Boy, Changeling, Ethan, that freaky looking one with all those dark clothes, the curly brown haired kid, Twain, all of them. Kenneth and Rebecca are keeping them occupied. We don't have much time."

Marty let his eyes drifted over the two Titans and the mother, who had yet to be touched. His mouth lifted in a smile. "Then I suggest we hurry."

* * *

It hadn't taken long to ruffle Robin's feathers. A few insults here, a few remarks about his virgin girlfriend there, and you have one very ticked (and violent) Bird Boy on your hands.

Kenneth was having one hell of a time deflecting each fist that was thrown his way. Okay, so the dude was a Teen Titan. He was just a con artist with a blue belt in martial artists. Bird Boy was an advanced black belt. He tricked people so others could kill his enemies. Bird Boy did things in person. Kenneth was by far not good at close range fighting. Bird Boy was an expert. So, in other words...

Kenneth was getting his ass kicked.

He fell back on his arse when a well-placed upper cut sent him flying backwards, nearly breaking his jaw in the process. He heard Rebecca gasp and had the insane urge to hit her. She was so damn annoying.

Cursing, Kenneth scrambled to his feet. Or at least he tried. He saw a brief glimpse of a shoe before it slammed into his nose, breaking it instantly. The horrible pain left him down for the count.

Robin rolled his shoulders. "Think it's over?"

Beast Boy nudged Kenneth with the toe of his bloodied shoe. Oh, it had felt _so_ good to kick the son-of-a-bitch. "Yep."

"Now that you've had your fun, let's go save our women." Wyatt said, already heading for the direction of the cave.

Rebecca sighed. "Sorry, cutie, but I can't let you do that." Before any one of them could pull out the weapons that had carefully stored, Rebecca slid out a wicked looking knife from her bodice and slid it deeply into Wyatt's back. Wyatt's gray eyes widened as she jerked it from him, bloods coating her hands like a thick paint.

Ethan quickly grabbed the dark teen as he fell forward, unconscious, immediately checking for a pulse. He found it, but it was dwindling fast. "Damnit." Ethan gently laid him on his stomach, ripping a piece of cloth from his shirt and wadding it, pressing it tightly against the bleeding wound. He eyed it, hoping desperately that nothing vital had been hit.

Twain drew his gun and aimed. Rebecca, with more speed than any of them had thought possible, lunged forward, easily avoiding the bullet and sunk the already bloodied knife into Twain's wounded shoulder. The cop yelled in pain, the gun falling from his grasp as his knee's collapsed beneath him.

Robin slammed his body into Rebecca's, knocking them both to the floor. Rebecca grunted at the impact, twisting her body so she as able to grab one of the many weapons strapped to his waist. She was able to sink the tip of a bird-a-rang into his ribs but he moved in time before it could slide completely in. Gritting his teeth, Robin grabbed her wrist and snapped it.

She yelped, using her good hand to slash his face. Ignoring the pain, she grabbed the bird-a-rang once again, trying to slit his throat with the end. She managed to scratch him with it, but he grabbed it from her, sinking it into her hand and pinning it to the forest floor. She screamed, clipping his jaw with her wounded hand.

Cursing, he slammed his elbow into the soft spot between her neck and shoulder. It shocked her momentarily, giving him enough time to climb off. He pressed his fingers against his bleeding throat, making sure it wasn't too threatening. Scowling, Robin spun on his heel and walked toward the stirring Wyatt.

Unfortunately, Rebecca did not know when to stay down.

Robin barely had time to realize what was going on before Rebecca attacked again, this time aiming low. His own weapon sliced the back of his thighs, but Robin knew that he could not allow himself to fall. He had fought enough battles to know that pain was a weakness, that if he did succumb to the hurt, all would be lost. Frankly, Starfire was too damn important to him to let himself collapse.

Colt watched Robin fight the little blonde witch as he checked on the unconscious Twain. Thankfully, the pulse beneath his tan skin beat regularly, although it was faster than normal. But Colt figured it to be expected, considering his wounds were nearly fatal and pain had a way of speeding the heart rate.

He was so busy watching Twain's breathing and Robin's battle to notice that Kenneth was no longer as unconscious as they thought. It was Beast Boy, who was helping with Wyatt that noticed Kenneth's sudden movement.

But by the time he called out a warning to Colt, it was too late.

Somehow, the son to the White Rose Killer had gotten hold of a thick, sharp branch without being noticed. Beast Boy tried to leap up, but his chest ignited with an unfathomable pain that had him lurching forward in dizziness. But despite darkness coloring the edge of his vision and the roaring of pain in his ears, Beast Boy heard the sickening crack of shattering bones.

He watched in horror as Colt hit his knees, clutching his caved ribs. Blood trickled from the side of his mouth as Colt grimaced. His weakened body fell forward, but Colt shot out both hands, palms supporting his entire torso.

Kenneth lifted the log above his head, preparing to slam it across Colt's head for the final blow. Quickly, Ethan surged up and tackled him to the ground. Amidst the flying fists and elbows, he managed to yell at Beast Boy, "Watch Wyatt!"

Beast Boy grimaced at the two men fighting on the ground, Kenneth trying to throw Ethan off him whilst Ethan did everything in his power to make sure that Kenneth _did not_ move. And right now, Ethan was winning. Despite the obvious pain in his thigh, Ethan kept a good hold on Kenneth's neck, ignoring the well-placed elbows that bruised and cracked his ribs. Ken managed to hit his thigh, and although the pain was great, Ethan did not even flinch.

Without taking his eyes off the two fierce battles, Beast Boy ripped off another piece of fabric and replaced it, tossing the soaked cloth away. The blood was lessening, which, in his opinion, was a good thing, for it must not have hit anything vital. Beneath his hand, Wyatt stirred with a groan of pain.

Beast Boy leaned back on his heels to see Wyatt's pale gray eyes flutter open. He grinned softly. "How do you feel?"

Wyatt mustered up enough strength the flip Beast Boy off. Chuckling, Beast Boy helped the wounded teenager into a sitting position.

"Damnit. I'd make a lame comment about her being a 'backstabber' but that's too troublesome...and something you would say."

Beast Boy scowled and pointed to Wyatt's thick jacket. "Take it off so I can wrap your wound up. I don't have much, but it'll have to do until we can get you to the hospital."

Wyatt grumbled and started to shrug out of the coat. That didn't work out to well. Beast Boy sighed as all the color drained from the dark teen's face.

"I realize that you are as macho as men can get without being a bodybuilder or that Arnold Schwarzenegger dude, but can I help you with your jacket so you don't end up killing yourself?"

Wyatt nodded slowly. With a quick smile, Beast Boy helped peel the leather jacket from Wyatt's torso, grimacing at the large, thick stain of blood that covered the upper part of Wyatt's back. It was below his right shoulder, off a bit to the side. Beast Boy couldn't help but flinch when he noticed just how close the wound was to his spine. Thick, dark blood still oozed from the wound, but it was slowing down considerably. With his nose wrinkled at the strong metallic smell of blood, Beast Boy tore Wyatt's shirt into a long strip and wrapped it around his torso.

"Can you get up?"

"Yeah," he muttered darkly, using his legs to push himself up. It took awhile, but Wyatt managed it perfectly with little traces of pain on his face. "Alright, I suggest that we let them fight while we take care of Marty and Lance...and the mayor, if he's there. We have to do something, and just sitting around won't help matters any."

Beast Boy nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Let's go." He caught Robin's eyes. He gave a brief nod before Rebecca pounced on his back, trying to strangle him from behind with the long strip of cloth from Starfire's dress. Robin slammed her against the tree, giving an evil, wolfish grin when he heard bones crack and her howl of pain. Her shock gave him enough time to jerk the cloth from her hands.

But she was on his once again, her nails digging into the side of his neck. "Dammit, woman!"

He slammed her against the tree again and again until she slid down him, hopefully unconscious. Beast Boy and Wyatt had already fled, leaving Ethan and Colt fighting against Kenneth. Now, the rich boy was throwing out punches and kicks that had Robin clearly impressed. Even Colt was kicking some serious ass, despite his broken ribs. Kenneth...well, Kenneth wasn't doing too well, considering that he had two very pissed men on his hands. They had yet to use weapons on the White Rose accomplice. Robin figured that hand-to-hand combat was more fulfilling that ending it quickly.

Robin moved away from Rebecca, wiping off blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. She was on all fours, crawling away from him and coughing up blood. Robin scowled and turned on his heel. He did not have time for Rebecca. Starfire needed him, even if she loathed having him be her knight.

He heard the click of the safety and groaned. Rebecca would not have to say anything, for Robin knew that when he turned around, she would have a gun aimed at him: _Twain's_ gun, to be precise. Robin had never been shot during a battle, but he had had plenty of time where he had been held a gunpoint. But, unfortunately, Raven had always been present and _always_ knocked the guns from robbers' hands. This was a bit different. Raven was not here, and Robin had a feeling that he was either going to die here, or find out _exactly_ how it felt to be hit by a bullet.

"Hands up, Handsome."

With a foul curse, Robin lifted his arms, linking his fingers behind his head sluggishly.

"Face me."

He did as he was told, posture relaxed. It did not matter now. Beast Boy and Colt would save all the women, so his death would not matter. Robin grinned lazily at Rebecca.

"You gonna shoot me, darling?"

She scowled, her once attractive face bloodied and bruised. "Maybe."

"Most villains prefer to make us suffer a bit. You could be different, or follow the unwritten code of psychos."

She shrugged a bruised shoulder. "I'm not one for following protocol."

"I sorta figured."

Rebecca advanced, hand unwavering as she stepped in front of him. The mouth of the gun was level with his stomach, and he knew one wrong move would end up killing him. People rarely survived bullet wounds to the abdomen.

"Why are you so happy all of the sudden? You don't seem worried in the least that I can kill you any time I please."

Robin shrugged, leaning his head back against his linked fingers. "I've never had a problem with the prospect of dying."

"Even if you know your death gives us more time to torture your virgin?"

He faltered momentarily before lifting his shoulder again in a shrug. "Beast Boy and Wyatt will save her."

"They're wounded. How do you know that the minute they step into that cave, my father or uncle aren't waiting with a gun in hand? We've always been tight in security since we started. While one rapes, the other watches. They won't stand a chance, considering they're slower than usual. Would you really risk that? Would you risk letting her suffer one of the most horrendous forms of torture know to man? Raping isn't just for the pleasure. It's about the rage, the fury, the thought of knowing that you're causing pain, not just physically, but emotionally. It's about knowing you're in control that makes it so pleasurable. You can get sex anywhere, but when you rape someone, you're taking something that that person prided himself or herself on. They could be a virgin, like Red, or even someone like me who lives for sex, but you're still taking something that wasn't given. You're taking their pride, their dignity, making them feel as though they are dirty in the worst way possible. They can't clean themselves, and most times blame themselves for what happened. No one lives forever, handsome, but do you really want your virgin to live the rest of her life feeling filthy and ashamed? Do you want her to live the last minutes of her life literally being ripped apart from the inside while someone takes what was probably meant for you? Are you really willing to risk that for a chance that they can save her?

"Honey, you have to really think about it. Why would they save her when they have loved ones in there? The Changeling has Raven while Wyatt has the mother. They will make sure their women are safe before Red ever crosses their minds. It will give my father, or uncle, plenty of time to do what they please. All that they need is a few seconds and it's over. Tell me, handsome, are you still willing to die now?"

Rebecca raised an eyebrow at the Boy Wonder. "Well, now that that's settled..." Her dark eyes ventured to Kenneth, who was finally retaliating. Hmm, it seems he was actually winning. Raymond's yummy nephew was weakening slowly after Kenneth slammed his elbow into his wounded thigh, whereas Colt was down for the count after Ken took the same branch that had broken his ribs to his collarbone, which probably broke it completely. She wondered if Colt was still alive. A hit to the ribs could puncture the heart or lungs, and a shattered—if that's what happened— collarbone could also be deadly.

She was so busy watching Kenneth that she didn't realize that Robin was reaching for the gun until it was almost to late. He managed to jerk it away from his stomach as she fired, but he was still hit close range. The bullet went straight through his upper arm, but he managed to jerk it from her grasp and turned the tables. Now, she was the one being held at gunpoint. And unlike her...

He was going to kill her.

With his right arm completely useless, Robin had to count on his left arm to do everything. Thankfully, Robin had always been able to adapt to everything that was thrown his way. And being left-handed was easy compared to most things he had to face.

"Kenneth," Rebecca called, voice wavering as Robin cocked the gun with his left thumb.

"Shut up, Rebecca. I don't have time to deal with you," he snapped, grunting when Ethan slammed his shoulder into Ken's midsection.

Her eyes widened when she realized she was on her own. Robin moved forward, blood dripping from the tips of his long fingers.

"I don't have time to deal with you." And before she even had time to scream, Robin slammed the butt of the gun against her temple.

She slumped to the ground, but this time, she did not rise.

"Robin, get moving! I'll take care of this one. Please make sure Hannah's okay, alright?" Ethan barely deflected a hit to the jaw, but ended up biting his lip hard, taking a large chunk from it.

Robin frowned, but was already moving toward the cave. Colt and Twain were completely out, leaving Ethan on his own. Robin hated to leave a friend on his own, but Starfire came first. Rebecca's speech had his hackles raised. But he would make damn sure Harley and Hannah was safe, even if he died protecting them.

* * *

Ugh, I am so sorry about not updating sooner! I had written out another part, but it wasn't that interesting, and I figured that you'd much rather have me update than read something completely boring and uninteresting.

Dude, I read the spoilers for Fruits Basket and I cannot believe it! I don't want to spoil everything for the people who are waiting to read everything before that, but...damn! I have a picture of the huge spoiler and even have it as my desktop. Problem is, they might end up killing one of the main characters...could someone please tell me if they know what I'm talking about and know how it all ends?

Oh, yes, and who all noticed the horrible clichés?


	40. Chapter Thirty Nine: January 21st

It's been a while, no? Sorry about that, but with school coming to an end, teachers think it necessary to give you as much work as they possibly can. I had a speech due for Speech Class, a 40-45 minute presentation over the Holocaust and the effects of WWII in Japan in History, a 100-question packet in Biology, and got homework every night in Geometry. That, and my cousin is having a baby soon, but is having heart problems that has everyone in the family is on pins and needles, so I have to baby-sit her daughter, since she can't pick her up. So, sorry, but schoolwork, unfortunately, comes first. But with summer here, you'll never get rid of me! I already plan on writing two Teen Titan one-shots, two Naruto one-shots, and starting on either another TT chapter story, or a Naruto chapter story over the summer. Also, all the stories I have put on hiatus (The Beast Within) will be finished.

* * *

Bumblebee blinked rapidly as she watched her fiancée pace before her, large hands clasped behind him as his one human eye narrowed in annoyance. It had been over five hours since Robin had left, and thirty minutes since Cyborg decided it was a necessity to pace restlessly for reasons unknown to her.

The toddler in her arms had his head titled, big gray eyes following every movement Cy made. It was rather adorable, actually, and Bumblebee couldn't help but smile.

"Sparky, something bothering you?" She asked, amused.

His only answer was a grunt as his stride lengthened and he disappeared from sight before popping back up again to repeat the process.

"You could always talk to me, you know. I'm a very good listener."

He snorted again, causing her to scowl. The next time he passed before her, she slipped out a foot, causing him to tumble foreword with a curse and giggle from the two year old.

"Bee," he said dangerously, but she was never one to be intimidated by any man, no matter how many tons he could lift with one hand.

The dark-haired female smirked, sitting Christian beside her as she loosened the two buns atop her head; running longs fingers through the short, curly mass. "Come now, Cyborg. Stop wearing a hole in the floor and tell me what's got you so uptight. Besides," she added, her fingers slipping from her hair to rub her temples, "you're making my eyes cross."

Cyborg grumbled and plopped down beside her. "Why didn't they ask me to help them? I mean, Starfire and Raven are my teammates, too—"

"You're not in love with them."

"—and you know that I would be hurt if they ended up dead—"

"Beast Boy and Robin are romantically involved."

"—and if I could _please_ say something without you interrupting—"

"Whatever you say, Sparky."

"Bee," he muttered darkly.

"Don't say my name like that."

"Damn. Could you please listen so I can get my point across and," he added quickly when she opened her mouth, "not interrupt me while I do?"

She scowled, picking up the toddler beside her and sitting him in her lap. Christian glanced at her with big, tired eyes, and leaned back against her chest, half glancing at the large metal hand that was resting against Bee's knee. Sleepily, he reached over and picked up a long finger, marveling at how heavy it was, before letting it drop again. He did this over and over again; smiling softly, while Cyborg watched his tiny hand curl around his finger before dropping it.

He was momentarily distracted, but shook his head and sighed. "I know that they're romantically involved, but you would think that would get in the way instead of helping. I mean these White Rose Killers are devious. I'm aware of them having Twain and Beast Boy and the rest with them, but what if they planned this? What if they can't save them? I can't just sit around here while there's a chance I'm losing my entire team."

Christian had abandoned his previous actions, and instead held Cyborg's finger in his hands while his eyes slowly closed. Bumblebee smiled softly, wondering for the umpteenth time since she met Cyborg what it would be like to have his child. Of course, there was still a chance that Cyborg was completely infertile and would never be able to have a child that shared his blood, but she could still hope, right? Besides, when all this chaos and drama settled down, she planned on taking him to the doctors who had actually experimented on him and made him who he was. Cyborg wouldn't be pleased, but dammit, she wanted a kid by him! And…anyway, he _was_ capable of lovemaking (thankfully, for her sake, he was still human from the waist to his knee, but all was covered in metal to protect the skin. It was strange how it worked out, really. She still didn't understand why Cyborg was still uneasy about the topic and how he came to be, but that was fine with her. She loved him anyway)…but she so didn't want to get into that. She was still too new at the whole concept and she really didn't want to look like a tomato when Cyborg looked at her…

"Why are you so red?" He asked suddenly, leaning forward to study her eyes. Bumblebee swatted him away. "It's just hot in here…" She snapped, shifting slightly.

Cyborg frowned. "Sure. Whatever." He stood up, forgetting about Christian's hold on his finger. Strangely, the little boy's grip never lessened, and Cyborg ended up face to face with his blushing wife-to-be.

"Kid's got a strong grip," he said gleefully, always pleased with a strong human. He glanced up with a grin.

"Cyborg," Bumblebee said softly, "what do you plan on doing?"

Cyborg's smile disappeared. He was quiet for a while, gray eye unfocused. But suddenly, the corners of his mouth lifted. "Mind watching the kid for awhile?"

Bumblebee smiled. "Sure thing, Sparky."

He grinned, leaning down swiftly to kiss her before bounding off in search of his toys. "I shall be back with my team in tow!"

She eyes softened. "Promise me you'll come home in one piece."

"I might lose a few bolts here and there—"

"Cyborg."

She heard him laugh and smiled. "I swear I'll come back to you in one piece, Bee. Can't have you marrying someone other than me, now can we?"

"No, I guess not."

"So…here, take this." Cyborg popped back into the room, arms loaded with all types of armory. She caught the communicator he threw at her easily, a dark eyebrow raised. "Can't I just use the main communicator in here?"

"I haven't unlocked security, and it would take too much time to get you online, so I figured this would help." He slid a tiny disk into his arm while Bee scooped up the sleeping Christian.

"'Kay, now, I'll keep in touch with the communicator, and when I give the signal, I'll need you to call the police. I'll send the coordinates to the location whenever I can."

"Do you know where they are exactly?"

Cyborg grinned. "Nope. But what kind of superhero techno geek would I be if I couldn't track them?"

* * *

Mallory's scream pierced the air as Marty cut through her cast, slicing the already torn flesh. The bastard had decided that Mallory had not gained enough attention from them, so while Lance proceeded to torture Waylin's daughter, Marty had slithered up to Mallory.

Starfire flinched when another horrid sound escaped from her friend. She needed to do something soon; for she knew that time was slowly dwindling. If she waited too long, Mallory and Harley would not survive.

She glanced beside her, careful to not bring much attention to her movements. She was supposed to be paralyzed after all. The mayor was watching both White Rose Killers with a sick gleam in his eye, causing Starfire's lip to curl in disgust. His gaze then moved to Hannah. He pushed his obese body off the wall, reaching down to grab something from the floor. Starfire could not tell what it was and did not want to bring attention to her, fearing that they would inject her once again, leaving her unable to protect them. Not that she was doing much now, but she couldn't just pop up and attack. This needed a well drawn out plan.

Beside her, Raven was deep in thought, her violet eyes closed as she concentrated on the surrounding area. She could detect other humans near, but they were far away. Eyebrows drawn, she focused more energy onto the far-off bodies.

Her heart jolted in her chest when she recognized the emotional pull that only Beast Boy managed. But he was so far away…she had to concentrate to reach him. Quietly, she took a deep, calming breath, and as softly as possible, murmured her chant.

_Okay, Raven, just concentrate on him and you'll be able to talk. You've done this before, though never this far away, but it'll work. They do say that once you're emotionally attached to one person, it's so much easier to feel to their emotions…right? Or was that just one of those stupid little quotes that really have no meaning and are corny? Damn, stop thinking of that and focus. _

Raven blocked away all thoughts, shutting out the metallic smell of blood and the screams of pain that filled the small cave, concentrating only on the feel of Beast Boy's presence.

_Beast Boy? Can you hear me? Where are you? _

She panicked slightly when nothing happened. No response, no tug, no nothing. Pushing down despair, Raven tried again, this time imaging Beast Boy's face in her head.

_Beast Boy, can you hear me? _

_Raven? _She sighed in relief at the baritone sound of his voice. _Where are you, are you hurt? Have they done anything to hurt you? Oh, I swear when I get there I'll pulverize them. _

_Calm down, Beast Boy. They haven't touched me yet. How are your wounds?_

_Eh, I've felt better, but they won't interfere. Raven, where are you?_

She sighed. _All I know is that it is some sort of cave, like you would find on the side of a mountain or near a sea or something…other than that, I don't know. _

_I can smell your scent vaguely. Raven, are you bleeding? Because I can smell it over Starfire's now. _

She ran her tongue delicately over her busted lip with a grimace. _It's not bad. Nothing to worry about. How can mine be so strong when Harley and Mallory are getting sliced and diced?_

_What? What do you mean, getting sliced and diced? Are they still alive? How bad are they hurt? How's Mallory? Starfire? Raven, give me some details, here! _

_Their getting hurt pretty badly, but I can't move, and Starfire knows she can't do anything right now without risking killing someone. With Marty and Lance having weapons in their hands, she can't risk the chance of them killing them. I mean, think about it. If she does something without warning and surprises them, who's to know that he won't get severely pissed and slice their throats just because he can? It's a slight chance, I know, but we haven't come this far just to end up losing because we jumped in to soon. I know I can use my telekinesis and throw them against the wall, but what are we going to do when they get up? I can't move, Starfire's hurt, and you're too far away. It's…complicating. _

_Damn…I wish I could morph. _

_…Why can't you?_

She heard him sigh mentally. _I still have a bullet in my chest. I morph and my muscles shift over the bullet, causing immeasurable pain and one very useless shape shifter. Hell, I swear, if I live through this—_

_--You will, Beast Boy. Don't be so pessimistic. That's my job, not yours. _

_Things change, Raven. I'm not the same as I used to be. _

_I know that, idiot. But it still doesn't give you the right to be so damn gloomy. Again, that's my forte and not yours. So gut it up and be the happy-go-lucky jokester that—_

—_Annoyed you to no end?_

…_Yes. _

Beast Boy's chuckle filled her mind, warming her aching body. _Your saying you want my annoying, corny self back instead of the brooding hunk I am now? You're strange to please, you know. I would have thought that you would love the darker side than the bright one. _

_Beast Boy…_

_All right, so the darker side of me creeps you out, and the corny side annoys you…so…should I just be sexy?_

Raven couldn't help but roll her eyes. _Fond of yourself, huh?_

_Considering I won the heart of you, I'm pretty confident in myself. _

Raven couldn't think of a coherent reply that didn't include the words 'Uh' and 'Oh'.

Beast Boy laughed softly. _Panicking yet? Figures. Don't worry, Rae, I know you don't love me, but it's still fun to mess with you._

His words were carefree, but the hint of pain was weaved throughout his words. Beast Boy could never seem to hide anything from her when she poked around in his mind. She was too good at reading emotions, especially when they were inside someone's head.

_Beast Boy…_

_Dude, I hate it when you say my name like that. It's like…I-don't-want-to-hurt-you-because-you're-so-pathetic tone. Could you refrain from saying my name in such an I-feel-sorry-for-you way?_

_I don't feel sorry for you and if you are pathetic, I'll tell you, not make you feel better. In fact, that's the opposite of what I would do. _

He chuckled softly. _Guess I know not to come to you when I'm hurt. _

_You know you will. _

_I know. That's mostly because I love you. _

Raven breathed in sharply. _You're too easy, Raven. One word of love, and you stiffen. _

_It's just…strange to hear someone tell me they love me…that's all. I'm…no one…I mean…not even my mother told me she loved me…_

_Well, Rae, I do love you, so deal with it. You don't have to feel the same way, and I'm perfectly fine if you want things to remain platonic—_

_In case you forgot, things so far have been far from platonic. I didn't sleep with you so we could just be friends with benefits. I don't play that way. As you are perfectly aware, I don't just sleep with anyone. In fact, if I were handed the chance to take back what we had, I would tell them to shove off and leave me alone. I am proud of what we had, and I still am. Nothing changes that. Until we got into this, yes, we had a nonsexual relationship, but now…how can you say it's platonic? I gave my virginity to you, not because you were my friend, but because I trusted you more than I have ever trusted anyone in my life. If you truly think things are platonic between us, you're an idiot. _

It didn't take a genius to know that she had shocked him. He was probably debating on how to go about saying anything without sounding stupid, and, for reason unknown to her, she found it adorable.

_I think…that is the most you have ever said to me in one sentence before. _

_That's all you have to say? _

_...Raven, that was as close I will get to have you say you love me. Sorry if I'm a bit bemused right now. I never thought that would happen, especially so quickly. _

_Do you think I'm incapable of loving someone, Beast Boy? Do you think that I so damn unfeeling that I can't or don't know how?_

_Raven, that's not what I—_

_Then why the hell do you keep saying that you know I'll never love you? _Raven was beyond insulted, but mostly, she was hurt. Really hurt. Her heart constricted with pain at the thought that Beast Boy thought her unfeeling. Okay, so she wasn't Miss Personality, but she wasn't an empty shell, either. She was more of an...I-have-emotions-but-it's-too-troublesome-to-deal-with type. And with her emotions being closely linked with her powers, she couldn't really bring forth happiness and such without toppling buildings and ruining Cyborg's Gamestation. It was just who she was. And besides, with her past, she didn't know how to even if she could. Her father hated her, her mother only saw her as an effect of rape, and everyone always saw her as a half-breed. She belonged nowhere and had learned early to steel herself against the world. But for Beast Boy to openly say she was unfeeling was taking things a bit too far. Her barrier couldn't withstand such a blow.

_Raven, I didn't mean—_

_I'm sorry that you think that I'm a clod-hearted bitch, like you said before—_

_I told you it was my way of getting back at you, Raven. _His voice was edged with anger, but being Beast Boy, he tried to conceal it. When would he learn that she was a damn mind reader? Her specialty, other than manipulating matter, was to read emotions. Stupid.

_I happen to think that you meant every word you said. I am so tired of you constantly saying that I'll never be able to love you. I might not be able to show emotions, but I sure as hell can feel them, jackass. _

_Stop insulting me, Raven. _

_Stupid! You're insulting _me_! Here's a newsflash for you, Sherlock. Telling me I'm incapable of emotions is a serious blow to my ego. It's an insult, pure and simple. So I have every right to call you a stupid jackass, because you are one. _

_Stop putting words in my mouth!_

_I'm not. It's so damn obvious what you're saying. Look, I might not be to keen on emotions and such, but I'm not so naive to know that your saying I'm inept of loving you! _

_I'm saying that I'm not the loving type! This has nothing to do with you and your damn emotions, Raven! This has to do with the fact that I am not someone that someone like you can love! That's what I meant. I can't do anything right. I'm not smart, or funny, or attractive. I have nothing to love. That's all I was saying, Raven. _His voice was softening now, voided of all anger. _I know you can feel, Raven. In fact, you probably feel as much as Starfire does, but you just don't show it. You loved before. Remember Malchoir? And I know you were attracted to Robin during our younger years. I'm sorry I led you to think that I was saying you're unable to love. I didn't mean to let you think that. I really am sorry, Raven. _

_Beast Boy…_ What was she supposed to say to that? She had always known that Beast Boy had self-esteem problems, but had no idea that they reached to such a high extent. It never occurred to her that Beast Boy was in real pain, and thought so lowly of him. It made sense why he tried so hard to win the affection of his team with lame jokes and annoying pranks. He just wanted to be seen. And she _never noticed._

She was supposed to be his teammate, his friend, hell, she was his lover, yet she was so wrapped up in her own problems that she never noticed him. His eyes had always been lonely, and though she had noticed, she brushed it off, because she thought her own pain to be more important. It was why he became so attached to Terra, because she showed him that she cared. Could Raven do that? Could she change how she acted to make him feel loved?

Hell yes.

Raven realized now that she was head-over-heels in love with Beast Boy, had probably been for years now, but had never let herself believe it. He was so damn adorable, and had been the only one who made her feel like she was important. He had been the only one to put her before everything else, and had never really given up on her. She realized that after years of being alone, she was entitled to be naive, but this took things a bit too far. How could she _not_ love Beast Boy?

He was everything that she needed. Wanted, maybe not, but she need him. She needed his lame humor, and his soft words of comfort. She needed to wake up every morning next to him and know that she was the only woman that he loved. She needed _him._

Sure, his jokes were annoying, and he was too damn attractive for his own good, but everyone had flaws. Hell, hers outweighed his by a good ton or two. But his imperfections were simple. She was demon, for crying out loud. She actually had a personality that could kill…literally. Jeez, she should be the one worried about him not loving her, instead of the other way around.

_Beast Boy, we really need to talk, but I would rather do this when I'm talking to you in person, and not in your head. _

_There's nothing left to say. _

_Yes, there is. _

_You seem to forget the predicament were in, here, sweetheart. I'm bleeding to death and you're in the hands of a rapist. I don't know if there will be another time to talk. _

_Damn…okay, here goes nothing…I…I'm in love with you. No, I'm not in love with you. I—_

_Jeez, Raven, either you're in love with me or your not. _

_I'm not. _

Raven could actually feel his pain and disappointment from here. It killed her, but she had to say this.

_See? Nothing to say. _

_Let me finish before you jump to conclusions. I'm not in love with you. Where I in love you with, I could easily fall out of it. _

_Raven, if your going somewhere with this, I suggest you get to it. You're killing me, here. _He tried to laugh it off, but he couldn't hide the heavy anguish in his voice. It amazed her how much he truly cared about her.

_But what I feel for you is something that will never change. I can't fall out of love with you, because I love you. There is no in love. This is serious; I want to be with you in the forever kind of love. As in...you have everything that I am able to give. Ready for the corniness and clichés? You have my heart and soul, Beast Boy. Oh God, that was so not a Raven comment. But it's true. I refuse to let you get away from me now, no matter how much you want to. You say you love me, right?_

_...Yeah. _

_Then I hope you're ready for an eternity with me, because I am not going to spend the rest of my life _without_ you. Scared yet?_

_Uh… _Poor Beast Boy: He sound like he was completely bewildered at her outburst.

_What I'm talking about is marriage, five or six kids, at least a dozen grandkids, and growing old together until we're both nothing but wrinkles. Hell, maybe even living long enough for great-grandchildren. Since I'm feeling generous, I'm giving you one chance to get out while you still can. Of course, you still have to save me, but when we get out of this, you can hightail it out of here as fast as you can. So, what's it going to be? _

Beast Boy's response was a string of incoherent words that had a beginning, but no ending. After the fifth or sixth _uh_, Raven figured it was time to intercept. _Come, now, Beast Boy. You're acting as if I just told you I was in love with you. _

_S-sarcasm? At a time like this? Dude, this is…wow. You did say you…wow. Uh…give me a minute…Okay, wow, uh; you want to be with me, huh? _

_No, I just want to grow old with you. _At times like these, sarcasm was her greatest playing card, and Raven planned on using it until the opportunity ran out.

_Again with the sarcasm. Okay, now my brain seems to be functioning again. _

_When did it ever work?_

_Ha ha ha. You're freaking hilarious. Okay…okay, I think I have things under control and don't you even start with the insults 'cause I won't be too thrilled. _

_Nice run-on, Beast Boy. _

_Raven! _Beast Boy's tone was beyond aggravated, and despite the situation, Raven smirked.

_This is a serious topic, Raven, so start acting like an adult who happens to be head-over-heels in love with my sexiness. _

Raven rolled her eyes. She loved the man, she truly did, but it didn't change the fact that he was an idiot. A conceited idiot, to be more specific.

_All right, I'll stop. You just make it so easy. _

_Bite me. _

_Already have. _

Had Raven been an emotional type, she would have laughed out loud at his sputtering.

_Stop! Okay, you love me, I love you, and you want to be with me till the end, as do I, so does this mean that after this, we're going to be together? As in couple boyfriend/girlfriend and all that jazz? Oh, wait, you don't like the sound of boyfriend/girlfriend. So…hey, if we are going to be together, do we date for awhile, then get married, or just go ahead and do the whole "till death do us part" thing? I mean, we've pretty much passed the boundaries of dating, but do you want to try that? I mean, we haven't really ever been on a date—_

_Beast Boy._

—_And the whole dance thing doesn't really count, does it? I mean, it sort of was a date, but we were undercover and—_

_Shut up, Beast Boy, and listen to me. _He quieted instantly. _I don't care what we're classified as. Marriage is nothing but a piece of paper that states that you belong to each other. Dating is also overrated. Truthfully, I don't care about dating. Or marriage, at that. Besides, we can work all that out later, when our lives aren't in danger. I just want to be with you. That's it. You're making this more complicating than it needs to be. _

_Raven! _

Raven blinked at the sudden invasion. It wasn't Beast Boy calling her name, but Starfire. Quickly, Raven told Beast Boy she had to go before concentrating on Starfire.

_What is it, Starfire?_

_He's coming! _

_What? _Raven suddenly realized that the cave was silent. There were no whimpers of fear, or cries of agony. It was deathly quiet, but before she could ponder on what had happened during her conversation with Beast Boy, a searing pain shot through her lower stomach, right across the left side of her pelvic bone. Raven hissed as blood seeped from the wound. She could see the top of someone's head, but had no idea who it was, or what they had done. All she knew was that the warm stickiness of blood was coasting her side, and that it wasn't too deep.

"I realize that it would be useless to rape you now," Marty cooed, leaning down so his face was level with hers. "We waited too long, and now your men are on their way. It would be nice to be able to bury myself in you right now, but I think torture would please me more. I can live comfortably with the fact that you suffered. So, how would you prefer to do? Bleeding to death? Suffocation? Truthfully, I would prefer fire or drowning, but both are out of the question. The color and texture of blood pleases me, so I think that will be our answer."

Marty swooped down and kissed her gently, as if he feared hurting her, before slicing her skin again, this time, nicking her right side. Raven growled and was seconds away from biting him when he pulled back. He smiled like a pleased little boy as he watched the blood flow.

He glanced once more at her face. "It's a pity I couldn't enjoy you more." He sighed softly before placing the tip of his weapon (Raven was sure it was a knife) at the top of her right thigh. "But I'm not too disappointed."

Marty's face contorted in a sick grin as he shoved the blade deeply into her flesh, slicing through muscle before slowly, oh so slowly, carving downward, no once pulling the blade from her thigh. Raven screamed in agony, a high-pitched shriek that bounced off the hollow walls of the cave. The pain was so intense that Raven wept and could do nothing to stop it.

Her mind seemed to break away from all rational thoughts, concentrating only upon the terrible pain. Even Starfire's words were jumbled inside her head. Her emotions were in turmoil, feeling everything she did. Rage, her strongest and most powerful weapon, was driven to her knees and was howling, a deathly sound that was more demon than human.

Beneath her, her blood was pooling, hot and thick, and ran down the sides of the stone slab to gather at the base before sinking into the dirt packed ground. Raven's throat was raw from screaming, but the sounds of pain still flowed from her mouth. Marty seemed to get off on her pain, for he was giggling wickedly. When he reached the side of her knee, Marty stopped, and yanked the steel from her skin. The action sent Raven tumbling over the edge of unconsciousness.

Marty smiled, a slow lift of his lips. He lifted the knife to eye level, watching the droplets of blood drip from the sharp edge of the blade. "I could die a happy man now," he murmured to himself, tilting his head slightly to gauge how deep he had gone. He guessed it was about a few scant centimeters from the thighbone…

He was so engrossed in his tortured pleasure to notice the empty slab next to Raven's.

"I think we might be able to arrange that."

Marty's eyes snapped up just to see a bloodied hand hurling towards him. The bones in her already injured hand shattered as she hit Marty with all the power she had, but she was never aware of the pain. She felt, with sickening pleasure, his ribs cave in as she plowed her fist into his gut. Marty dropped to the ground like deadweight, blood pouring from his slack mouth.

Starfire glanced up to see Lance and the mayor looking at her with horrified expressions. She smiled, her once bright, innocent bottle-green eyes dark with bloodlust.

Starfire's full mouth turned up in a deadly smirk. "Who's next?"

* * *

School's out for summer! Yes! Life is good! No more papers, or speeches, tests, or worksheets for an entire 2 ½ months! Now, late updating will be a thing of the past!

But now to more important things: Sorry if I confused you, and if Raven was too OOC (which she tends to be when I write). But hey, at least Starfire finally took some action. That should make ya'll happy. Sorry again for the long wait, but some things can't be helped. Oh yeah, and sorry if this chapter is too short. Wow, I'm apologizing a lot...


	41. Chapter Forty: January 21st

Dammit, I cannot believe the Mavericks lost the stupid game! They let the stupid Miami Heat win. How can you miss that many three pointers? Then again, Wade was unstoppable, but still! Dirk really didn't bring all he had. If they had of won at least one game in Miami, they could have maybe won, but…argh! I am so mad…but hey, at least they made it this far. And they were only three points behind. It pisses me off, though, that they fouled Dirk when it was that…other guy's fault. He shoved _him_. Dirk was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. That other dude (I didn't get his name because I was so ticked) should have gotten it, not Dirk, who, by the way, I am madly in love with. Sorry, but it just makes me so mad that Dallas lost…damn. It also doesn't help that my little baby doggy Jake is having epileptic seizures and my stupid jackass of a father keeps talking to his whore, even though he knows good and well that I hate her…I could so throw a shoe at his hard, empty head…

Okay, so I would have posted this a week ago if FF hadn't been all screwy. It wouldn't let me upload this...so sorry for making you wait this long. And my beta was too busy to correct this, so I corrected it the best I could. I'll repost the corrected chapter when my beta has time to do it, so sorry for the mistakes.

Oh, yes, before I forget, **this chapter does** **contain graphic rape**, so if you're offended, you know what to do.

And please keep in mind that I cannot write fighting scenes. They are absolutely horrible, and I know it, so please don't complain that they were too short. I can't think of anything else to write that doesn't come out corny and stupid and completely unbelievable. Right, and I also change between using Kenneth and Jonathan; so if you're confused, blame it on my laziness. I didn't realize I was going it until I read over it and by then, I just wanted to get this posted as soon as I could. So, sorry. This chapter is also much longer than the other. (23 pages long)

Oh, and the band AFI rocks.

I think that's all…yeah, that's it.

* * *

Before Beast Boy could even ponder as to why Raven had suddenly pulled back from their telepathic connection, an intense pain ripped through his thigh, forcing him to the ground with a howl of agony. 

"What the hell?" Beast Boy yelped, his hands instantly flying to the pain. But as quickly as it came, it vanished, leaving Beast Boy panting and confused. He lifted his hand to see if there was blood, but it came away dry. Unsure of what was going on, Beast Boy stumbled to his feet.

"What was that?" Wyatt asked, dark eyebrows drawn together. "You okay?"

"Damn," Beast Boy groaned, pressing his hand against his thigh. He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart, but froze. The smell of Raven's blood was strong now, smothering the others completely. In fact, it was _all_ he could smell. Raven had to be at least a mile away from him, but if her scent was that potent…

Suddenly, the mind that people swore he didn't have started to churn, slipping pieces together like a jigsaw puzzle. When Raven had been in Robin's head so many years ago, she had felt it when Slade had sucker punched Robin. She had later relayed that it hadn't been as strong as what Robin felt, just a preview of his real pain, but had been strong enough to knock her off her feet. So, what if when Raven had abruptly pulled from his mind, a thin connection was still attached to him? What if now, he was feeling a portion of Raven's pain because he was still linked to her mind? That would explain the intense pain he felt, and the strong smell of her blood.

Raven was hurt, maybe even dying. Beast Boy cursed, quickly turning to face Wyatt. The sudden movement made Wyatt pause and blink.

"I need your help," Beast Boy said, his tone deep and serious.

"Uh…okay."

Beast Boy eyed him before saying; "I'm going to morph into a horse so we can get to the girls faster. But since I have a bullet in me, it won't be easy. I might collapse before we even get there, so I need you to kick it up and be the hero. When I fall, do not get me. Don't even check to see if I'm breathing. Just keep running straight for as long as you possibly can, got it? We can't risk losing them, even if my life is in danger."

"But—"

"No buts, Wyatt. I need you to do this for me, okay? No, not for me, but for Mallory. She doesn't deserve this. She needs to be alive to raise her son with you. She doesn't need to wake up every morning with the memory of being brutally raped by a sick bastard because you risked one second. So do this one thing for me, okay?"

"But what about Raven? How will you save her if you're dead?"

Beast Boy wasn't stupid. He had thought of this. "I won't be able to save her. But you can. Wyatt, if things work out how I think they will, I won't be able to be her hero. Just…make sure she gets out unharmed. I know Mallory comes first, but if I'm not there, save her. Can you do that?"

Wyatt tilted his head back to stare at the heavy grey clouds that were pregnant with rain. "You will be the one to save her."

"Wyatt—"

"But if you are unable to for some reason, I'll take care of her. She won't die. I promise you this…as a friend." Wyatt lowered his head to watch Beast Boy's eyes. "But you have to try to save her yourself. Then again, saving two women will do wonders for my reputation." He gave a crooked grin that took away some of the seriousness of the situation.

Beast Boy shook his head in amusement. "Alright, so we have a deal?"

"But wait."

"What?"

Wyatt frowned. "If we switch places and I'm the one who dies, you have to save Mallory. Do I have your word on that?"

Beast Boy smiled. "I'm a Titan, Hallowell. My job is rescuing maidens in distress. Of course I'll save her."

"Deal."

Beast Boy gave on last smile before he morphed into a horse.

The pain was excruciating, worse than what he had imaged, and even the thought of Raven didn't help any. But he refused to fall now, not with so much in stake.

Turing his head, he stared at Wyatt, waiting impatiently for him to get on. Wyatt's eyes went from Beast Boy's bleeding chest to his eyes, debating on if he wanted to risk it even more. Beast Boy neighed, making Wyatt jump.

Dejected, Wyatt muttered, "I've never ridden a horse before."

The look Beast Boy sent him changed Wyatt's mind, though, as he quickly slung one long, muscled leg over his back. He almost slid off, but grabbed Beast Boy's mane just in time.

Wyatt barely had time to adjust himself before Beast Boy took off at full speed towards the woman he loved. The dark teen groaned heavily, remembering why he had avoided coming near horses. Thankfully, Beast Boy managed to evade all branches and clawed roots that spurted from the ground like bony fingers.

Thunder groaned in the distance, a low rumbled that seemed to last forever. A flash of lightning closely followed it. Wyatt braved looking up at the sky while in motion and nearly sighed. The sky was an ominous black that seemed to swallow up all around it and was much more sinister than when Beast Boy and him had talk before. A storm was fast approaching, which, considering the achingly cold air, would probably end up in a snowstorm. That, or the ground beneath them would become a frozen, slippery mass that would add more obstacles that they did not need.

Beast Boy made another strenuous leap over a collapsed tree and Wyatt leaned forward slightly to keep his balance. The move jarred his wounded back and he couldn't help but flinch. But he knew his pain was nothing compared to Beast Boy's.

Without warning, rain fell from the dark sky, drenching everything in its wake in mere seconds. Beast Boy lost his footing a few times, and Wyatt wondered of it was blood loss or the slick ground that had the Titan slipping. Wyatt shook his head slightly. Beast Boy was much stronger than he appeared. The media had portrayed him as the weak point of the team. Few ever showed the strong side of him, even if it was his drive.

Truth be told, Wyatt never saw the Titans as humans (not actually meant in a literal sense, because of Raven and Starfire). He never thought that they would feel pain and hurt, or even fright. He thought of them just as what they were called: Heroes. Most people failed to realize that superheroes or even villains, had emotions that could make or break them. Heroes are supposed to always save the day, and villains always lose, but that was far from the truth. They feel as much as any one else, but because they are supposed to be unbeatable, everyone sees their emotions as a weakness.

And so, because of this stupid unwritten rule, Beast Boy had been singled out and seen as weak because his emotions were always getting in the way. He wasn't like Robin, who always stayed cool and composed, or Raven, who never seemed to get angry or sad. Starfire was an exception, because once in battle, her emotions seemed to take a backseat, and winning became first propriety. Cyborg only seemed to show anger and boastfulness, but Beast Boy showed everything. When he knew it was a losing battle, his eyes would reflect it. Although he would not back down, his eyes would hold his doubt, and for that, he was seen as weak.

Wyatt now realized that he had always thought of Beast Boy as the weakest, only because everyone else saw him as it. The media, fans, enemies, all seemed to think him incapable of being a hero without the help of his team, but how wrong they were. Beast Boy was strong, if not more so than even the legendary Robin.

It was because of his emotions that made him strong. Without emotions, it's impossible to win. If emotions are thrown aside, how can you fight with everything you have? Robin lost because he showed emotions, but it was because he had never shown it before. Beast Boy had, and because of that, he could control it and still be the victor. Now, he was putting everything into saving Raven, even though he knew he would probably die.

Beast Boy stumbled again, nearly sending Wyatt flying off his back. Wyatt sighed again, and leaned foreword completely. His wound ached horribly and was bleeding again. The sensation of hot blood and ice-cold rain blending together against his skin was uncomfortable, but he ignored it as best as he could. Instead, he concentrated upon the thought of rescuing Mallory and reuniting her with her son once again.

* * *

He didn't know if he was winning or losing. Having never really even been in a physical fight before, Ethan didn't know how to tell. Was it the first to draw blood? Well, he won that one. The first to send his opponent to his knees? Lost that one. Or was it the one who fell and did not get up? Either way, Kenneth seemed to be on the losing side. Ethan felt pretty confident that Kenneth was in worse condition than he was, but then again, Ethan couldn't see his own face. His wrist was killing him, as well as his eye, mouth, and jaw, and his thigh felt as if a fire was consuming his skin, but other than that, everything was numb. Something dripped into his eye, but he did not know if it was blood or rain. _With my luck, it's the former. _

Jonathan looked worse for wear, which pleased Ethan to no end. Until the White Rose happenings had occurred, Ethan had never used his fist to hurt someone, but for the looks of it, he was doing on hell of a job for a first timer. Ethan ducked when Jonathan sent a fist hurdling in his direction, quickly dropping on his haunches and sweeping out a foot to knock his opponent off balance. The pain in his thigh almost had him falling to his knees, but he pushed it aside, only concentrating on the battle at hand. Jonathan cursed, but managed to catch himself. Ethan quickly jumped back when the redhead tried to send his foot into his throat.

Ethan cursed himself for being too slow when Jonathan shot out a fist and slammed it beneath his chin. His already sore mouth filled with blood again, but he merely spit it out and wiped the remaining drops with the back of his good hand. Jonathan seemed to back off then, stepping back to catch his breath. Ethan did the same, trying to gather some of the sense that Jonathan knocked out of him.

"Would've never thought a high-and-mighty prep like you could fight," Jonathan sneered, feeling the bridge of his nose. He knew it was broken after than stupid green Titan had slammed his foot into, and after this fight, it seemed to have worsened. It pissed him off to no end that he had been knocked around so by some many damn angry boyfriends. It also didn't help matters any that the mayor's nephew still looked like a model despite the blooded lip, black eye, and bleeding temple. Even the limp he sported didn't take away from his freakishly good looks. It wasn't fair that some people could look so attractive, even when they were locked in the middle of a nasty fight.

"Same here. Guess the fighter in me comes out when Hannah's life is on the line."

Jonathan rolled his aching shoulders before stepping into a fighting stance once again. Ethan stood as he was, arms akimbo and legs slightly parted, though all his weight was on his uninjured thigh. Jonathan was confused, not understanding why the teen was standing so casually, but didn't think much of it. It would be easier to take him down, anyhow.

"You do know she's probably dead by now. If the mayor went through with his plans like he told me, she's probably being ripped into two as well. Too bad you didn't fuck her when you had the chance. It might have made it a little less difficult for her, knowing that you won't be the first man to take her. So sad."

Ethan's blue eyes darkened to a deadly black, but other than that, he stayed immobile. "Since we both know I can't leave here until you're dead, tell me why Raymond hates her so much. Why is he doing this? What did she ever do to him to elicit this much attention?"

"Money," Jonathan said simply. "That, and the fact that she has a body any man would kill for. I know you noticed it when she first came around you. Jones wanted her, tried to take her, but didn't because of her mother. You do know that she's an heiress to a billion dollar company, right? Carson Industries was her father's, and when he died, he left all of it to her. She can't legally have it until she's eighteen or married, but if she were to die, it would go to her mother, her last blood relative."

"And her mother would hand it over to Raymond without a second thought," Ethan concluded with a scowl.

"Exactly. So, Jones figured he would kill two birds with one stone. He came to us, offered us a hiding place and an entire hotel to kidnap her, rape her and let him have a go, then kill her and he would never be tied to it. He would finally get what he wanted, inherit her money—which is so much that she could probably buy a small country and still be able to live comfortably for a century or two—and still be mayor of the city. You know good and well no one would wonder why or how he suddenly got all the money. No one would really even notice that she was gone."

"I would have."

"Sure, kid. That's why you let him beat her and did nothing to stop it. I'm not stupid. You're only worried because of the guilt. That, and you were probably horny and knew she would be an easy catch. Come on, now. You're like the idol of Jump City. Becca told me so. Did you know that you actually slept with her? Do you even remember? Doubt it. She was just another one-night-stand, but she couldn't stop talking about it after that. Kinda takes a blow to the ego when she says that you're better in bed than I am. But that's what happens when your girl sleeps with a man-whore."

Ethan's eyes narrowed but he ignored him, instead asking, "Why did he beat her?"

Jonathan blinked at the change of subject, thinking that the rich kid would surely take offence to his insults. "You mean the mayor? Oh, right. He's just sick. He told me the first time he hit her she screamed, and he loved the sound of it. But after awhile, she stopped, and it pissed him off. You know when people say that if you don't show you're in pain, they'll lose interest in you and move on? It's a lie. The less you scream, the more they want to hurt you. Anyway, I think he liked the sight of her vulnerable and bleeding. That, and the fact that he could do it freely without anyone stopping him, like you."

Ethan stiffened at that. "So he hit her because he could."

"Pretty much. Now that we've had our little discussion, can we get back to me kicking your ass?"

"From the looks of it, you're the one getting your ass handed to you."

Jonathan scowled. "Anymore questions before I kill you?"

"Not really." Ethan's eyes quickly darted behind Jonathan, but quickly returned to his opponent.

"Ladies first," Jonathan sneered.

"Dude, just shut up and attack already."

With a battle cry that had Ethan rolling his eyes, Jonathan leapt forward, planning on slamming his first into Ethan's chin again. He sidestepped it easily, and dodged gracefully when Jonathan tried to come at him from the back when the frontal assault failed. But he didn't expect Jonathan to turn his body completely and ram a fist into his stomach. Thrown off, Ethan stumbled back, closing one eye in pain. The redhead moved forward again, attacking when he was still disoriented from the hit. Jonathan managed to land another blow to his mouth when Ethan jumped back into the battle.

With a curse, Ethan moved his head out of the way when Jonathan tried to hit him again, and grabbed his wrist with his good hand. With a quick flick of his wrist, he snapped the bone, ramming his knee into his nose when Jonathan bent down in pain. The hit sent him reeling backwards, but Ethan jerked him forward again, slamming his temple against Jonathan's. The White Rose accomplice hit the ground with a groan.

Black dots danced before his eyes as Ethan pressed his hand to his throbbing head. "Damn that hurt."

Jonathan painfully turned on his side and tried to crawl to his knees, but Ethan slammed his foot into his ribs, sending him onto his back once again. Jonathan coughed up blood.

With a scowl, Ethan shoved his foot against the redhead's neck, pressing down hard enough to make him choke. He feebly grabbed the teen's ankle, but he was too weak to push him off. His body thrashed wildly, trying anyway possible to throw him off, but he couldn't.

"You don't realize how much I truly want to kill you right now, but death is the to quick. I want you to suffer for hurting Hannah, for making her life a living hell."

Ethan glanced around for something to tie him up with, but could find nothing. But then he remembered the wicked knifes that he had taken from Kate's stash. With an evil grin, Ethan reached into the waistband of his jean and took out two sharp, but short knives. He ran a long finger against the blade, pleased when it cut the skin.

"Eh, this should do the trick."

Jonathan stared at him, eyes jerking between the knives in his hand to his eyes, which held an unusual amount of hate for such a mild mannered kid. Kenneth yelped when Ethan moved his foot from his neck, instead stepping on his wrist instead. It took him but a second to realize what the boy had in store, but before he could do anything, Ethan had shoved the knife into his palm, pinning him to the ground. He made the mistake of reaching for his injured hand, which made it easier to Ethan to pin his other hand to the ground, and do the same thing. His howl of agony reverberated through the forest, sending birds in flight.

Ethan stood back to study his handiwork. Kenneth's body jerked, trying to dislodge his hands from the ground, but the pretty boy lifted a foot and slammed it down on the hilt, sending the entire body of the blade through his hand. His body arched in immeasurable pain, but Ethan did the same to the other hand. Kenneth screamed again.

"Well, since I can't kill you, I figure torture would be best."

"You sick bastard," Kenneth managed to spit out, but Ethan merely shrugged.

"Maybe. But I'm damn proud of it." He smiled slowly, his teeth white against his tan skin.

"What are you going to do to me?"

"Nothing. Just leave you here until the police comes." Ethan brought back his foot and slammed it into the side of Kenneth's face.

Ethan knocked him around for a bit to make sure he was out of there before he moved to the still unmoving Colt and Twain. Twain's breathing was labored, but the blood was slowly started to ebb down. Ethan didn't know what to do, knowing full and well that he couldn't carry two grown men with his cast and his leg. But he couldn't just leave them there to die.

Damn. He needed to get to Hannah, but his conscious wouldn't let him just leave them. Ethan glanced at his broken wrist with a scowl. What he needed was a cell phone. He patted himself down, wondering if he had managed to grab it before leaving, but realized he didn't have it. He checked Colt, and then moved to Twain when he found nothing. Twain had a phone, but unfortunately, there was no signal, no matter where he moved.

"Shit," he cursed, chunking the useless technology to the ground. The rain was starting to fall heavier, and the temperature seemed to drop drastically. Thought it wasn't cold enough to turn the rain to snow or sleet, it was cold enough to freeze his skin. Ethan pressed a hand against his aching thigh, wishing for something, anything to help his problem. Why couldn't someone show up and help out? But that would be asking for a miracle. No one knew there were out here; so having someone appear would be like hell freezing over.

"Wow. I expected some blood shed, but this is not what I pictured."

Ethan whirled around to see Cyborg standing there, hands on metal hips. "I take it you're the mastermind behind the redhead pinned to the ground? Man, that's wicked."

He started to the cyborg, mouth slack with shock. Cyborg blinked. "Problem?"

"How…why…what the hell is going on here?"

Cyborg smiled. "I tracked you here."

"…But how?"

"When Robin and Twain came to the Tower, I gave them some gadgets, but I installed a tracking device in each one. Thankfully, Robin managed to keep his flashlight on him, so I tracked it here, and found you. I forgot about that stupid tracking device until I was already on my way here, and the sensor started buzzing. So, I'm here, and it looks like I came just in time."

Ethan glanced around and spotted the flashlight that Cyborg had spoken of. It had obviously fallen when Rebecca had attacked Robin.

Suddenly, it hit him. "Do me a favor."

Cyborg blinked. "What?"

"I need you to take Twain and Colt—"

The said teen groaned from his spot on the ground, and his dark eyes fluttered open.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty."

Colt managed to glare that the blonde before his lips twisted in a grimace. "Ouch."

Ethan shook his head before turning back to Cyborg. "I need you to call the police as soon as you can. Twain and Colt need an ambulance immediately, and I need to find Hannah and—"

"I'm going with you."

Ethan's pale eyes narrowed upon the curly-headed teen. "No."

Colt struggled to his feet, but was having difficulty, for the pain in his chest was killing him. He pressed a hand to his collarbone, and could actually feel the break. "That's not good," he murmured, but moved forward slightly towards Ethan. "Where you go, I go, got it? I need to see Harley, and I refuse to sit back while you play hero."

"You're hurt, stupid. Don't be Mr. Macho, now. This isn't about ego—"

"I know that, Ethan, but I need Harley. I can't back down until I get to her. Either I go with you, or I follow behind you. I'm going either way."

"Why you stupid, annoying…" Ethan closed his eyes against his boiling anger. "Fine. But if you hold me down—"

"I won't. Put yourself in my position, Matthews."

Ethan grumbled, but turned back to Cyborg, surprised to find him lifting Twain gently in his arms.

"I'll get him to a hospital as soon as I can. It would be useless to call when I can get him there faster. But take this."

Ethan caught the small, round communicator in his hand. "This way, I'll be able to find you again, but this time, I'll have reinforcements."

Ethan smiled at him. "Thanks, Cyborg."

He nodded before jerking his chin up. "Don't you need to be somewhere?"

Colt was already moving forward, one arm holding the other to keep some of the pressure from his broken collarbone. Ethan followed along behind him, not once glancing back.

Cyborg sighed as his eyes took in the pinned villain. "Sick mofo." Cyborg turned on his heel, never noticing the dark eyes that followed him.

* * *

It shouldn't have worked out the way it did. He should have never made it farther than them, but somehow, Robin managed to catch up with Beast Boy and Wyatt. Well, actually, catching up wasn't how it worked out. 

He had heard the pounding of the hooves, but had figured it to be rain. So when a tan/green horse leapt from out of nowhere, Robin didn't react immediately. It was all too confusing, and Robin figured that he had lost more blood than he thought. It had to be the reason he was seeing a horse come speeding towards him.

Beast Boy spotted Robin seconds before his mind told him to stop. Robin was looking at him in confusion, as if he didn't understand what was going on. Beast Boy dug his hooves into the ground, trying to stop himself from slamming into the Boy Wonder, but instead, he managed to throw Wyatt headlong into Robin, knocking them both to the ground with a painful thud.

Beast Boy's feet slid out from under him and he hit the ground on his side, sliding into them, still in his horse form. Both Robin and Wyatt cursed when two hundred pounds of horse slammed into them, sending them sliding along the slick ground. Thankfully, Beast Boy managed to shift his body back into human form, so when they came to a skidding halt, the three teens were a mass of tangled arms and legs.

"Dammit, would someone please remove their knee from my ass please?" Wyatt snapped, trying to move away from them without hurting himself more than he already was. His wound had ripped, but now, his shoulder was bruised and scrapped, along with his cheek, which had hit the ground first.

"I will as soon as Beast Boy gets his butt out of my face," Robin growled. Beast Boy shoved his body to the side, grunting when someone's elbow connected with this stomach.

"Okay, stop moving!" Beast Boy yelled. All movement stilled. "Now, lets get up one at a time, shall we? I'm on top, so I get off first, kay? Kay. Wow, that sounded beyond wrong," he muttered as an afterthought. Beast Boy managed to crawl away from them with little difficulty, although he did end up kicking Wyatt in the face and kneeing Robin across the head. Despite the pain, he laughed at the absurdity of it all.

Robin didn't find it too funny though. "Damn." Robin took the hand that Beast Boy offered, but when he tried to pull him off, he ended up jerking forward when his foot caught under Wyatt. Wyatt cursed when the movement sent Robin sprawling across his legs.

"Get off!"

"What does it look like I'm trying to do!" Robin pulled himself up, hissing in pain when his muscles started to scream in protest. That hit had jarred him, and his arm was bleeding again.

"What the hell was that?"

"Don't know. How did you get here? I thought we were ahead of you." Beast Boy cringed when his wounds throbbed painfully. He was surprised he was still standing. For some reason, it had been easier to resort back to his original shape.

"So did I. I guess I took a shortcut without knowing it."

Robin reached down to help Wyatt to his feet, noticing when the dark teen paled. "Your back acting up?"

"Yeah. I think I might have pulled a few muscles as well. Not a good combination."

"I wouldn't think so," Robin sympathized. "But I still don't understand how we met up like this. I should have never caught up with you. You were a good ten minutes ahead of me, and since you shifted, that would put more space between us."

"Well, maybe Wyatt and I talked for longer than I thought. Besides that, maybe I took a wrong turn. Horses don't have that great of smell, and maybe when I fell, I turned in the wrong direction and I just never noticed it."

"I guess. But it really doesn't matter. I guess it's better that we're all together. Well, most of us."

"Yeah. I wonder how Colt and Ethan are doing," Wyatt wondered aloud, tilting his head back to stare at the sky. The rain washed away the dirt and rubble from his skinned cheek.

"I don't know. Beast Boy, can you tell me how far we are?"

Beast Boy pressed a hand to his bleeding chest before sniffing the air. With the scent of rain and wet earth adding to the mixture, Raven's scent wasn't as strong. But now, he could smell someone else's blood. No, not just one, but three. No, four. Beast Boy sniffed again.

"I think I smell…Ethan…Colt…Marty…and Jonathan's, but it's faint, like it's far away. But Ethan and Colt are strong…so is Marty's…dude, am I losing it? Marty, I can understand, but Colt and Ethan? They must be close…but why can I smell Jonathan? Weren't they with him?"

"Maybe they defeated him and left him," Robin said, eyes scanning their surroundings, though the downpour made it hard.

"Shouldn't the rain wash away their scent?"

"Not Raven's and Marty, if they're in the cave, but the rest should be washed away, or at least diluted. That's why I don't understand Ethan and Colt. Unless they're moving this way, I shouldn't be able to smell them so strongly, even if they are bleeding badly. They have to be close to us."

"Should we wait?" Wyatt asked.

"I…Robin?" Beast Boy turned to his teammate. "What do you think we should do?"

Robin bit his lip. "I…"

"Wait." Beats Boy help up a long, clawed finger. "Their scent is getting stronger."

"Either they finished off Jonathan pretty fast, or we were tangled up longer than we thought." Wyatt muttered.

"Probably both."

"Ethan? Colt? You out there?" Beast Boy called over the roar over the rain, elfin ears twitching to catch their sound.

"Beast Boy? Where the hell are you?" Came the distant reply.

"Keep heading straight and you'll pop up around us sooner or later."

It took about three minutes for them to find the rest of the group. No one wondered how they came to meet, and at such a short time. All they could think about was getting to their women before they were killed.

* * *

For the first time in her innocent life, Starfire wished to kill. She wished to feel their blood upon her hand, to see their life drain from their miserable bodies, and not even her conscious, which was usually as clean and pure as snow, could muster up enough reason for her to not destroy them. 

The mayor's double chin trembled in fright, his beady eyes darting from her to his only escape route. His breathing was labored, and as he made a run for it, Starfire snarled, "If you move on more step, I swear I will rip your throat out with my bare hands."

Raymond Jones whimpered, but froze where he was. Starfire watched in disgust as the inside of his pants started to dampen as he urinated himself.

"Disgusting," she growled.

"Please," he pleaded, sinking to his knees while sobbing," I'm begging you. Don't kill me. I'll pay you, if you just let me—"

With inhuman speed, Starfire grabbed the knife that Marty had used to slit Raven's thigh, and, with a flick of her wrist, sent it flying. It hit the mayor's groin with perfect accuracy and his scream of pain filled the cave.

Starfire angled her chin, watching as the mayor's blood dripped onto the dirt floor. "Silence," she said quietly, and the mayor's screams turned to whimpers of pain.

She turned those hauntingly beautiful forest green eyes on Lance, who seemed to be debating on whether or not to run, or fight back. He was starting at the mayor with wide eyes, as if he couldn't believe what was happening.

"Stay away from me, you sick bitch," he yelped when she moved forward. "You're crazy. You've lost it."

"Perhaps."

Her answer was so calm that Lance stumbled backwards in fear. "I won't let you kill me, you hear."

"We shall see, now won't we?"

Lance reacted quickly, tossing the scalpel that he had used on Harley at her heart. She moved her shoulder just in time, but it still hit her chest, just below the left side of her collarbone. It sunk in deeply, but she still moved forward, as if she had felt nothing. It was a gruesome sight. With her dress leaving her collarbone and shoulders bare, he could actually see the thick blood as it stained her pure white dress. It was like out of a horror movie. Her skin was unusually pale, though she was normally tan, and with her flaming hair falling to her hips in curls and long, billowing dress, she looked like an ethereal ghost haunting him. And he knew she would be merciless, as a demonic spirit would, which made the fear act on its own accord.

Lance pounced, shocking them both, and knocked the unprepared alien off her feet. Her head hit a stone slab hard, but she ignored it, concentrating on the man atop her. Lance jerked the scalpel from her skin and tried to shove it into her throat, but Starfire jerked out of the way just in time. It skimmed her soft skin, but barely broke it. With a growl of fury, Starfire grabbed his neck and threw him off her.

He hit Mallory's slab, but the girl did not awaken. It was then that Starfire took in the appearances of the four innocent girls. Harley was broken and bleeding, her chest and stomach covered in blood that still gushed from deep wounds. Her skin was ashen, and her chest barely rose and fell. Her lip, though covered in blood, was slowly starting to lose all color. Starfire knew, just from looking at her, that she was slowly dying, and if she did not get her out of here, she would bleed to death.

Hannah was almost just as bad. Her torso was bleeding heavily, but what worried Starfire the most were the thin, shallow cuts across her neck and both wrist. Her body was slowly, painfully being drained of life, and Starfire did not know if she would survive this.

Mallory was not as bad off, but her leg was bleeding heavily. That seemed to be her only wound, but if she waited any longer, her friend would bleed to death. But Raven's wound seemed far worse. There was no doubt that Raven _was_ bleeding to death. Already, her body was trembling, and when Starfire brushed her fingers against her ashen skin, she found it cold, too cold for any human to survive. Her throat constricted in pain when she realized that each and every girl she had come to see as her best friend was slowly dying and she did not know if she could do anything.

She wanted to rip Lance's throat open, but she knew she had to get these girls out of here. It was them, or killing Lance. Their lives came first; there was no doubt in her mind. She would have to let him get away, but she knew she would never regret it.

Slowly, the hate started to bleed from her eyes, replaced by a sharp fear. She had to save them. She couldn't let them die. Lance pulled himself to his feet, stumbling slightly. He was surprised when the beautiful redhead turned her back and worked on the chains.

Lance realized what was going on. She was going to try and save them and not attack him. But he couldn't let her do that. He had come too far to let them all get away from him. He would rather die that allow that to happen.

Starfire didn't know Lance was up until he grabbed a fist full of her curls and snapped her head back, pressing the scalpel against her throat. Lance pressed his entire length against her back.

"I can't let you get away from me," he whispered against her ear. "I worked too hard to let you save them."

And then he realized that he had won. All four of the women were dying, and he still could rape the gorgeous redhead. He preferred when they fought, anyhow. Lance smiled a sick grin as he shoved the Titan over her empty stone slab, pinning her stomach against the hard surface. Starfire pushed back against him, trying to move him off her, but Lance pressed the blade against her throat until it bled. He shoved her back down, leaning his front against her back so she could feel his excitement.

"I love it when I win," he snarled before reaching down to shove her dress up. Starfire reached back to slam her elbow into his stomach, but even when it connected, he didn't let up. He cursed, his hips pinning her against the stone. He dropped the scalpel, but before Starfire could move, he grabbed both wrist and pinned them against her back, making sure to squeeze her shattered hand.

Starfire couldn't help but cry out. With the medicine not yet worn off, her normal strength was dulled down to that of a normal human. And with Lance having been trained to take people down, Starfire knew it was hopeless. She had lost. Raven and the rest were dying, bleeding to death while she was about to be brutally raped. Starfire couldn't believe this was how it was going to end. But there was nothing she could do. She should be able to fight him off, to get Raven and the others to safety.

"Jones, wanna help out?"

Starfire's eyes cut up to see the beefy body of the mayor. His crotch was bleeding still, and Starfire felt a wave of pride hit her. But it died quickly when the mayor growled and grabbed her hands, slamming them down beside her head. Pain raced up her arm, but now, she could jerk up. Her crown connected with Lance's jaw and he moved back slightly. It was enough for her to shove her body against his and knock him away. But she never expected the mayor to jerk her arms back. Her pelvis hit the stone hard enough to crack it and she hissed in pain.

With the mayor keeping her at bay, Lance got up easily and slammed his fist against her temple. Stars danced before her eyes, and for a brief moment, she stopped fighting. But it was long enough for them to push her back against the stone slab. Jones shoved her hands above her hands while Lance crawled over her, shoving her thighs open with enough force to pull every possible muscle. Starfire cried out.

Lance lay between her spread thighs so she wouldn't be able to kick him. He shoved her dress around her hips, his mouth curving in a sick grin when he shoved his groin against her.

Starfire tried to jerk away from him, but she couldn't. Her hips shoved into him instead, trying to push him off her, but Lance just drew back his hand and hit her. Ortega grabbed her bodice and ripped it from her, tearing the fabric to the waist, shredding it until her entire dress lay in tatters around her. In a short time, without even moving off her, Ortega had stripped her down to nothing more than a strapless white bra, silk underwear, and white stocking and garters.

Starfire tried desperately to pull her hands from the mayor, not caring if her shattered hand pulled. She couldn't let this happen. She was too strong for this. She couldn't succumb to the fear; she had to fight. This wasn't supposed to happen to her. This wasn't how it was supposed to end. She was supposed to win, to save everyone. She was supposed get out of here, with everything still intact. She was supposed to get Raven, Harley, Hannah, and Mallory to safety. She was supposed to see Robin again, and tell him that he hadn't broken her, that she would be able to survive with him just being her friend. This…wasn't supposed to happen.

Lance grabbed the back of her neck and brought her face to his. "I am going to make sure you regret ever fighting me. I swear to God I will rip you apart until you bleed, you little bitch. No one defeats Lance Ortega and gets away with it." And the he slammed his mouth against hers, forcefully shoving his tongue into her mouth. She tried to bite his tongue, but Ortega expected it. With on hand, he grabbed her jaw, forcing her to keep her mouth open while he ripped the silk cloth from her chest. She tried to fight again, but her movements were becoming panicked.

Ortega grinned while he ran his free hand against her bare chest, bruising her silken flesh. Beneath him, he reduced the strong Titan to a scared, teenage girl who was about to have everything she held dear to her stolen in a brutal fashion. Now, she was no superhero. There was no Starfire of Tameranian now, only a small, vulnerable girl who couldn't fight back, no matter how she tried. It was sad in a way. To think that someone as strong as her could be reduced to a weak, terrified girl.

She tried again feebly to jerk her hands from the mayor's grip, but his beefy hands kept her pinned against the stone. She shoved her hips up again to push Ortega off, but that only seemed to excite him more.

Lance's hand was now moving downward, leaving shallow bloodied marks and bruised skin in his path. Starfire closed her eyes tightly when he shoved aside her underwear to slam two cruel fingers into her. Starfire screamed in agony, jerking her head away from him as pain ripped through her lower abdomen.

Starfire finally broke, tears spilling from her eyes. It was over. There was nothing left. Starfire tried to arch down away from the blinding pain, her hands fisting against the mayor's grip. Her entire body stiffened, and she prayed for it to end, wishing desperately for him to kill her. Anything but this. Starfire screamed again, her body thrashing wildly beneath Lance. Ortega shoved his entire body against hers, a sick smile spreading across his mouth as the Titan beneath him sobbed.

It was amazing that just minutes before, this little hellion had been ready to rip his throat out, but because of her innocent heart, she had chosen her friend's lives over killing him. He knew she never expected him to attack. It had never crossed her mind that he would still rape her, even though she was supposedly one of the strongest women on the planet.

_Why you stupid, weak little brat! What the hell are you doing? _

Slowly, Starfire's eyes opened as the voice inside her head cursed wildly. _Why the hell are you giving up? Stupid! Have you forgotten about your eyes? Gah, do I have to do everything around here? _

_Who are you?_ Starfire briefly forgot about Ortega, who was still raping her with his fingers.

_Idiot! I'm your mind. Jeez, you stupid blonde, fight back!_

_But…I cannot._

_Dammit, have you forgotten that you're a Tameranian? Hello, you have your eyes. You don't need your strength to win. Blast him off with that handy eye power of yours. That, or fry that beefy fat-ass's hand. Don't you dare start acting like some pathetic worm and say you can't fight back. Oh boohoo. Poor little Starfire is giving up because she thinks she can't do anything. Grow a backbone, you stupid idiot. _

_I would gladly appreciate it if you stop insulting me. _Starfire didn't understand what was going on. This voice inside her head had never made an appearance before. Was it her conscious? Or was she finally losing it?

_Then fight back. What, are you waiting for your little Robin to be your knight in shining armor? Hate to break it to you, hun, but you'll be dead by the time he gets back! Don't become a weak human! Use your eyes! We can do this if you just think straight. I know it's hard, but you were the one who said you didn't need a man to save you. You can save Raven and your friends. Just concentrate on your powers and blast this son-of-a-bitch to hell and back. Relax and close your eyes. _

Starfire did as she commanded, her tear-filled eyes closing and her body relaxing. _Now, think about Darcy, or all those young girls who were raped and killed before they could experience life. Think about Raven, who's bleeding to death beside you, or Mallory, who might never get to see her son again. Think about this bastard on top of you who's trying to take what was meant for Robin, even if he is the biggest jackass in Jump City. There we go. Your blood's boiling now, isn't it? Yeah, the anger's taking over now; don't you love the feel of the strength building within you? Forget about your innocence. Think about your anger, hate, your bravery, and me. Now, are we ready to rip this man's dick from his body? _

And Starfire's eyes opened slowly, her eyes completely green, as well as her hands. Her bruised mouth turned into a slow, lethal smirk.

"Uh, Lance?"

He was too busy wrestling with the belt of his pants to pay attention to the mayor. Finally undoing them, he grinned, and glanced down at the women beneath him. His heart stopped. Staring back at him was Starfire, eyes a deadly green.

The mayor yelped in pain when Starfire's skin heated, forcing him to let go. And when he did, Starfire pounced. Her hand shot out, grabbing Lance's neck in a hold so tight that he couldn't breath. It never crossed her mind that her chest was completely bare. All she could focus upon was the man in her hands.

The innocent, naïve Starfire was gone, replaced by something deadly, unfeeling, and so damn furious that Lance felt his blood run cold.

"No man can touch me unless it's Robin," she snarled, her voice deep and sultry: Like her sister's. And without a thought, Starfire slammed her hand into his chest. He hit the wall with a sickening crack, but, much to Starfire's disappointment, started to crawl away.

Starfire clucked her tongue. "You're going to make this difficult, aren't you?"

Ortega whimpered.

"Oh well. I guess killing you immediately wouldn't be pleasing enough." Casually, while Lance tried to scurry away on his hands and knees, Starfire brought her long hair over both shoulders to cover her bare chest.

"You can't get away from me." Starfire floated above him, and slowly landed in front of him, blocking his path. He glanced up, his entire body shaking with pain and fear.

Starfire reached down, grabbed his neck once again, and slammed him against the rock wall. His skull cracked against the hard surface. "You have no idea how much I truly wish to kill you, but death would be the easy way out." She pulled him close to her face. "I want you to suffer."

She threw him down to the ground, rolling him until he was lying on his stomach. He tried to scramble up, to get away from her, but she pressed her foot to his shoulders, shoving him down again with enough force to crack more ribs. His fingers clawed at the ground, which gained her attention. She scowled at hand that had caused her so much pain.

Starfire reached down to grab his wrist, and jerked it upwards so his shoulder snapped from its socket. Lance howled in pain and buried his face against the ground.

"You will regret what you have done." And so, with his still injured arm in her hand, she reached down for the other one, giving it the same treatment. Starfire let the useless arms fall to the ground, which made him scream again. She was surprised that he was still conscious.

Before she could inflict more pain upon the villainous officer, something slammed into her, shoving her against the wall, much as she had done to Ortega. Marty pinned her hands above her head while his free hand wrapped around her neck.

"This time, I will kill you."

But Starfire merely smiled. She didn't feel the sharp rocks that dug into the tender skin of her back as her star bolts slammed into the White Rose murderer. She didn't feel his nails rip into her neck as he fell backwards, his skin burned by the heat of her bolts. All she could feel was the white-hot anger that burned through her veins.

Marty leapt at her again, but she fisted her hand and slammed it into his bleeding face. Although it sent him reeling back, it didn't faze him, and he reached out to grab a fist full of her long hair.

"What is it with you idiots and hair pulling?" She snarled as she slammed her elbow into his forearm, cracking it.

Marty howled in pain, his grip on her hair loosening. As he jerked back, Starfire slammed her fist into his jaw. While he stumbled back, she turned on her heel to slam her foot into his temple. He hit the opposite wall with a crack, his body sliding down in a heap. Starfire glanced at her chest with a grimace, before shoving Lance on his back and taking his white button down shirt. She slipped it on, but only managed to button it so it covered her chest before Marty was up again.

Starfire briefly wondered how he managed to keep getting up, especially when his ribs were probably broken and his temple a nasty shade of black. She couldn't ponder on it long, though, for he shot out a first to slam into her stomach, but she gracefully moved aside, so his first his rock.

But the man didn't even cry out before he was swinging again. His fist clipped her jaw, but did not do any damage. He then copied her move from earlier, and twisted to slam his foot into her. That one connected and sent her back against Harley's slab. Her lower back hit heavily, sending waves of pain through her body.

She cursed in Tameranian as she ducked his foot again, slamming her fist into his knee when she dropped down to her haunches. It cracked beneath the pressure, and Marty went down with a sick scream. But the damn man got up again, making sure to put no weight on his broken leg.

Something in his hand caught the dull light of the lanterns, but she couldn't tell what it was. She didn't think it too important at the moment, for Marty backhanded her with his fist, bruising and splitting her bottom lip. She swept her tongue over the wound, surprised at how much blood she tasted.

Marty leaped for her, but she backed up, so he stumbled forward. Accidentally, he used his broken knee to catch himself, and he howled. But he reached out, grabbing a hold of the lose tail of Ortega's shirt and managed to slam both him and her against the farthest wall. His torso pinned her to the rock, but before she could hit him, Marty shifted his hand, and slammed it into her stomach.

Starfire glanced down, wondering why it felt as if he had shoved his entire hand into her skin.

And froze.

There, clutched in his hand, was the knife he had used to cut Raven, and it was shoved completely into her. At first, there was no pain, just the pounding of her heart in her ears. She watched in a daze as blood coated his fist, nearly drowning him in it.

And then he twisted the knife slowly. Starfire screamed as he ripped through her abdomen. Somehow, despite the pain, Starfire managed to grab his neck and throw him off her. He hit the wall again, but this time, his head connected first. She didn't know if it had killed him, but this time, he didn't get up.

Starfire closed her eyes, leaning her head against the wall. Blood roared in her ears, and she realized that, although she had won the fight against The White Rose Killers, she was probably dying. Slowly, Starfire grabbed the hilt of the blade and pulled it from her skin.

She collapsed as pain ripped through her, hitting her knees with a painful thud. She grabbed the wound; head bowed, and pulled her hand away to see how much blood there was.

But her hands were shaking so bad that she couldn't tell. She could hear her blood pouring onto the ground, felt it as it pooled beneath her. She watched in horrid fascination as the hand that she was using to brace herself became soaked in the dark, hot liquid.

Her breathing became shallow and labored as she dug her nails into the ground. How could she have been so stupid as to let this happen? She could have prevented it. If she hadn't of been so damn cocky, she would have known that he had grabbed the knife when he had fallen against the wall. Dammit.

Starfire glanced up at the stone slabs where her friends were bleeding to death. With every ounce of strength she could muster, she stumbled to her feet, nearly falling when the dizziness overtook her. Slowly, she moved forward, but she caught a movement from the corner of her eye. She turned to watch the mayor try to run to the exit of the cave.

Despite the fact that she had a fatal wound to her stomach, Starfire scowled, and sent a star bolt at the back of his head. It hit with perfect accuracy, and the mayor collapsed in a heap with a groan.

Using that much energy was stupid, but Starfire didn't dwell on that. She had to at least get the chains off of them before she let the darkness consume her. Weakly, Starfire pulled their wrists' and ankles' from the shackles before her legs gave out from beneath her. She clutched the side of Raven's slab to keep from falling, but the muscles in her arms were trembling.

"I'm so sorry, Raven. I should have saved you, but I failed."

Vaguely, Starfire heard commotion outside of the cave, and could have sworn she heard Robin's voice. She closed her eyes, as the pain seemed to take over her entire being, before leaving her numb and cold. And slowly, she opened her dull green eyes to see Robin at the entrance of the cave. She thought, just for a brief second, that she saw fear and pain run through those beautiful amber eyes before she collapsed.

She never heard Robin scream her name.

* * *


	42. Chapter Forty One: Two Weeks Later

I am so sorry! I know it has been awhile, but with family problems, procrastination, school shopping, schedule mishaps, doctor's appointments, _school starting—_biggest reason— Ecoli, and Bleach, I just haven't had the time. But again, I am so sorry. Dude, I just found out why I was so sick—I was literally laid up for an entire week—I had freaking Ecoli. From stupid Jack-in-the-Box, too. I refuse to ever eat there again…nasty.

I got a flame, but to me, it's not imporant, so I won't bore you with the details. But I will bore you with the fact that I am completely obsessed with Bleach. Heck, this has caught my attention more than Naruto has, which is hard to imagine. I have fallen in love with Hitsugaya and Hinamori, as well as Rukia and Ichigo. That's not imporant, though.

Oh dear… we had to write a stupid, meaningless Essay in English III and our teacher made us turn in our introduction with our thesis. He was flipping through them while we wrote our second paragraph when he stopped and said something about finding something in papers that shows that some of his students are deep thinkers and what not, but dude, then he started to read my thesis! I thought I was going to die. Everyone knew who wrote it, and they gave me these looks like, "Yeah, we know, we know. You're a geek." Well, not really, but seriously. That was the only one he read aloud! He said he would have never thought to write a thesis with so much depth and personality. Argh…so embarrassing…but at least he liked it…

Now that all this has been said, here's the next installment of the White Rose. By the way, I think there will only be two or three chapters left. Then, I start on the sequel! Ooh, right. How many of you want a sequel? Will anyone be interested if I write one? Not many people take kindly to OC's and that is mainly what TWR: PoB will be about. But I do need to know, for if you don't want a sequel, then I need to completely change the ending I have planned. If it's not too much, do you think you could tell me in your review? I would be much obliged if you did…

By the way, this chapter was written while listening to the coolness that is Enigma and Nightwish. Also, this chapter is fifty-two pages long, so I hope that makes up for the late updating.

XxX

There were very few times in his life where he had been scared. He was taught at a young age that emotions were nothing but a hindrance to him and those he wished to save. It was drilled into his head—before the martial arts, the stealthy moves, the weaponry training—that emotions killed. It was impossible to feel anything and succeed in the real world. And being the young, hurt little boy who had just lost his entire life in one brief moment, he gobbled up the information like a starving man, just to save himself from the pain that ate away at his soul. So he lived most of his life a loner, spending all of his days and nights learning the trade of a hero, with Bruce Wayne and Alfred as his only companions. Neither one was much into talking, Bruce being a depressed billionaire who scurried around in a cave beneath his mansion in tights and thrived on the action that villains produced, and Alfred being nothing but a butler who added, "Yes, Master Robin," to everything he said.

With that being his entire childhood and half of his teen life, Robin didn't know how to express emotions normally, so being frightened was something he wasn't used to. Of course, he felt frightened when his friends were in the hands of Slade or some whacked up psychotic villain who thought that ruling the world would be easy. But even then, when he knew that his friends were in danger, he locked his emotions up so he could think logically and not like that of a man who knew he could lose his friends any second. It had just come naturally, shoving everything he felt into the back of his head. Maybe that was why it was so easy to hurt Starfire.

But as he watched Starfire fall, heard her body hit the hard ground beneath, a numbing fear took over. He couldn't get rid of it, or push it into a box and lock it away like he did with his other emotions. Instead, it clogged his throat and colored his vision a hazy gray. His hands and feet refused to move, and the only thing he could get out was a hoarse cry of, "_Starfire_!"

And then he was moving forward, leaping over the prone bodies of the White Rose killers to get to her. He slipped in something thick and wet, but refused to think about what it was. All he wanted was to get to her. He hit his hands and knees beside her, his hands shaking as he gently turned her onto her back. He smoothed a strand of red hair from her forehead, his heart constricting painfully at the cuts and bruises marring her features. Robin pressed two fingers against her bloodied neck, letting out a breath that he had no idea he was holding when he found her pulse. It was too slow for his liking, but it was there, and that was all that mattered.

"Oh, Starfire, I'm so sorry. So sorry." He ran his hands over her to find all and any wounds that he could when his eyes landed upon the large red stain on her abdomen. His hands hesitated briefly over it, but it didn't last long. In seconds, he had the shirt open, covering only her breasts, to provide some sort of protection.

"Dammit, Starfire," he murmured, his heart sputtering to a stop, only to resume a fierce pounding that vibrated in his ears. The wound was deep, but only about an inch or two wide. To any normal human, it seemed fatal, but he kept in mind, _chanted it_, that Starfire wasn't human. She was an alien, and Robin prayed to the gods above that she was made differently than everyone else.

Without thinking, Robin ripped off his sweater, tearing it into thin strips. He wrapped it around her, making sure to tighten it enough so it stopped some of the blood flow.

Robin picked her up, vaguely surprised that, even as deadweight, she was light. He finally took in the sight before him, his mouth turning down in a frown. Colt was holding a frail, thin girl in his arms, fighting back the physical and emotional pain as he smoothed back a cascade of reddish blonde hair and looking as if the world had completely shattered around him. Robin realized that the small girl he was holding was Harley, the quick-tempered girl who was quick to smile and even quicker to help out a friend. But now, she was so fragile, and from the look of it, Colt knew it as well.

Wyatt was no better. The tough-as-nails Goth that was so close to being a clone of Robin was actually tearing up as he tried to stop the blood flow that pooled around Mallory's ruined cast. He didn't sob, or whimper, but his eyes were bright, too bright, and his mouth was drawn into a thin line. He picked Mallory up slowly, flinching in pain when the added weight pulled cruelly at his wound. He adjusted her to where she rested against his chest, but it did nothing to soothe the aching pain in his eyes.

Ethan's frown was fierce as he shoved the now broken body of the mayor to the ground with his foot, Hannah tucked safely in the comfort of his arms.

It took him but a moment to realize that he had not seen Beast Boy. He glanced around quickly, gold eyes scanning the cave even though the light was meager, coming to finish what the others had not done. He found him hunched over Raven, one hand holding his chest while the other tugged futilely at the chains around her ankles.

"Dammit," he snarled, giving another vicious yank at the metal, but his hands slid off and he ended up stumbling backwards. Robin frowned, carefully shifting Starfire's weight so he could help his wounded teammate. He reached for the metal cuff, his fingers brushing against it. His hand jerked back instinctively when it came away coated in a sticky substance. He stared at the dark, thick liquid, realizing that the reason Beast Boy could not get her undone was because everything, even the ground beneath her, was coated in her blood.

"I can't…" Beast Boy panted, his eyes dull with pain, "I can't get her undone." Robin knew that it wasn't just physical pain that had his eyes shifting to a dark green, and quickly reached down to help.

"I would give anything for Cyborg to be here," Beast Boy murmured, his voice bordering on pleading.

"Did someone wish for the almighty Cyborg?" Robin whirled to the booming voice, his shoulder sagging in relief.

"Cy."

"The one and only." Cyborg walked into the cave, his large size seeming to cram the small space. Behind him, over a dozen members of the SWAT swarmed in. Beast Boy and Robin stared, wide-eyed.

"How did you—I mean, when did—," Robin stuttered, and when he knew he couldn't form a coherent sentence, settled with, "Holy hell."

Cyborg grinned. The two flashlight perched upon his metal shoulders threw the cave into a yellow glow. "To make a long story short, I tracked you here, tried to take Detective Twain to the hospital, but he pulled the stubborn act when he woke up and made me take him to the Police Department, where he pulled a few strings, chewed out some ass, and then passed out happily when all was underway. He made sure to give me the say-so before he fainted, so, I, being the wonderful man I am, assembled an entire SWAT team, helicopter and all. That, and Waylin seemed to snap out of his I-don't-know-how-to-think-for-myself when Twain told him his best friend was about to rape his sixteen year old daughter. Amazing what you can accomplish in less than half an hour. And you wouldn't believe how hard it is to see in a helicopter with lightning and rain coming at you like bullets. Oh, and did you know this cave is a bitch to find from the sky? It looks like a wall of rocks and moss, but I saw the big gaping whole, and figured that it was a good place to start." Cyborg seemed to swell with pride. "And I managed it all on my own. Good thing the members of SWAT are on speed-dial and come fully packed."

"You sure have a knack for popping up when someone mentions they need someone's help," Ethan muttered dryly, his face straight when Cyborg turned to glare at him.

"This is what happens when you start the butt-kicking without me."

"How does that have anything to do with you showing up when someone even says that they need your attention?"

"Do you want to wail on me, or do you want to thank me for showing up? 'Cause I could have left your butt there in the forest and taken off myself."

Ethan opened his mouth to say something, but scowled, and said, "Thank you."

"Well, alright, then. Kinda figured you'd say that."

The rich teen opened his mouth to say a snappy retort, but it died on his tongue when Hannah was pulled out of his arms and taken away from him. "Wait—" But it was too late, for the man had already disappeared. Colt and Wyatt were treated the same way, both brooding silently as they lost sight of their loved ones once again. But all knew that it was for the best. They were taking them to treat wounds…speaking of which…

Robin opened his mouth to ask more, when Beast Boy suddenly grabbed onto his shirt, his clawed fingers piercing the cloth.

Cyborg finally took in the sight before him. His cocky air seemed to disappear immediately. "Beast Boy, are you okay?'

Beast Boy shook his head, and managed a weak, "Help Raven," before he collapsed, his body striking the hard ground beneath him. Robin tried to help him out, when his arms suddenly felt light. He glanced up, surprised to see another man holding onto Starfire. He reached for her, but Cyborg laid a hand on his shoulder.

"They'll help her, Rob. You have to let her go." Cyborg leaned down to scoop Beast Boy into his arms.

"The last time I let her go, she ended up like this."

Unsure of what to say, Cyborg glanced around, cringing when he caught sight of Raven. Four black-clad men were quickly loosening her shackles. When the metal fell free from her skin, the man to her left reached to pick her up, when suddenly her body seemed to lift and hover above the blood-drenched slab. He drew back with a confused curse.

"She's healing herself," Robin murmured. The man exchanged looks with his partners before he asked, "Can I pick her up?"

"I'll do it," he said, moving past the to gather Raven into his arms. The last time Raven had healed herself, no one had touched her. Robin had no idea if touching her would keep her from healing her wounds or affect her, but he figured that if it did screw something up, it'd be easier to blame him and not a man who only planned on helping.

Said man shrugged and trudged off to help gather the mayor. At the moment, four men were trying to hoist the unconscious mayor off the ground but were having no luck, as the mayor seemed to outweigh even their group tally. It took two more to finally get him up, and by the time they managed to walk out of the cave, they were sweating and cursing.

Cyborg sighed, his human eye traveling over Robin's form. "Looks like no one made it out of this unscathed."

Robin unconsciously grabbed his upper arm. Slowly, he moved forward, towards the exit of the cave, followed closely by the rest. Stepping outside into the cold rain was like walking into a dream. The sound of the helicopter was deafening and sent dead leaves dancing in the air, but it barely registered in his head. His dark hair lashed at his face, but he didn't move it.

People scurried about as another helicopter approached. Glancing up, Robin was vaguely aware that this was the helicopter that had taken his parents away, even when they knew there was no hope in saving them. It was the helicopter that came down to help those that the Titans had failed to protect: the ones that rarely survived the trip to the hospital. It was the helicopter that was going to take Starfire away from him.

But there wasn't enough room for two of them. The SWAT copter barely fit as it was, for the clearing was no bigger than the rock that the tower was built upon. There was no way another could fit. Robin mused that this was the reason for the scurrying and yelling.

"We gotta get moving!" Robin watched as the SWAT members gathered inside.

"Come on! We need to board!" Cyborg yelled over the roar of the chopper, laying Beast Boy gently on the ground.

"What?"

"We gotta go!"

"But Starfire—"

"Needs serious medical attention! You'd get in the way!" Cyborg seemed to flinch when he said this, but Robin didn't notice. He knew Cyborg was right, but he couldn't shake the feeling that this might be the last time he ever saw Starfire, and it scared him.

Robin didn't object when Cyborg forcefully hauled him over his shoulder and handed him off to those in the helicopter. Headphones were placed over his ear to help dull the sound, and he was buckled into a spare seat. A few men stayed behind to guard the injured, and Robin was dimly aware that he was the only one who boarded. Wyatt, Colt, and Ethan were sitting down beside their loved ones, seemingly in pain.

Robin gazed out the window as the helicopter raised from the ground. Cyborg laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, providing comfort even if he never spoke. Robin managed to give his friend a small smile before he turned away to watch the forest disappear beneath him.

XxX

Robin was immediately taken to Jump City Hospital, where his arm was cleaned and bandaged. When he refused to speak of any other potential wounds, he was carted off to get X-rays. When all seemed fine, they moved him to his own room, doing their best to dodge the questions thrown at them.

"Where's Starfire? Is she okay? Dammit, tell me!" The poor nurse he had snapped at burst into tears and fled the room. Robin cursed, whirling around to scream at another innocent bystander, but quieted instantly when he saw Cyborg.

"They're here."

Robin made a beeline for the door, but Cyborg blocked him. Robin scowled and tried futilely to pry his arm from the doorway.

"Robin—"

"Damn it all to hell, Cyborg. Move your damn arm!"

"They're not doing too good, Robin."

Robin's entire body seemed to stiffen, before his arms fell back to his side.

"You might want to sit down."

"No."

Cyborg opened his mouth to object, but closed it, knowing that Robin was stubborn as hell.

He rubbed a metal hand over his forehead. "Robin…Raven's okay now. She healed herself on the way here, or so the doctor said, so now all we can do is wait until she's awake. But…Robin, Starfire lost a lot of blood, and although they went through with a blood transfusion, they don't know if her body will accept it. If it doesn't…there's not much they can do. They're trying their best…and her wounds…it would have killed any other human. That's all I could get from the doctor."

Robin closed his eyes, numbly walking to the chair beside his bed and sinking down in it. "And Beast Boy?"

Robin glanced up when Cyborg said nothing, and felt his heart drop into his stomach. "He's dead, isn't he?"

Cyborg shook his head slowly. "Not yet." He glanced away, staring at the pale blue walls. "He…he almost didn't make it here, Robin. He flat lined just as they were landing, and it took an entire minute to get his heart beating. His wounds…he was shot in the chest, Robin. More than once, and I figure he shifted with the bullet in him, because the nurse said that his muscles were ripped. They're…they're doing their best, but don't know if he'll make it through the surgery."

Robin felt his heart constrict when Cyborg lifted a hand to scrub at his human eye. Robin stood up slowly, moving away so Cyborg could sit down. He did, keeping his hand ever his eye. Robin perched on the edge of his bed, gazing out the window. The storm still lashed violently outside, the rain pelting the windows.

"I shouldn't have been so mean to him," Cyborg choked out, his hands fisting. "I shouldn't have made fun of him so many times. He…he couldn't help the fact that he was green, or liked tofu. I should have…"

Robin turned his head away when Cyborg wept.

XxX

Two weeks had passed since Robin had first walked into the hospital. Marty, Lance, and the mayor had been taken into custody, and were being charged with first degree murder, kidnapping, fraud (at least on the mayor's part), over a dozen counts of rape, and five counts of attempted rape. Their trial was to be held if and when all five girls were able to testify against them. In the mean time, they were being held in the Gothem penitentiary, where villains like Joker and Slade—if he was ever caught—were held.

Rebecca and Jonathan had managed to get away. Although there were search parties in three counties, no one seemed to be able to find them.

But things had not gone well for the victims. Only Wyatt and Robin were well enough to leave after the second or third day. Colt was pretty bad off, but was wide-awake and cursing the doctors for not letting him see Harley. He had begged them not to let Waylin anywhere near her, for it was partly his fault for her injuries. If it had not been for his fear of going against the mayor, his daughter would not be in intensive care. The only one really allowed to see her was her mother and siblings, for which Colt was grateful. Harley's mother even dropped by to tell him of her progress and would come in to fluff his pillow or bring him takeout when his own mother had to work. She seemed to fret over him when he moved wrong and ended up sending waves of pain through his neck and chest. Thankfully, Colt's collarbone had not been too badly broken, and all that had needed to be done was to secure his left arm to his side so it could heal properly. It was safe to say that he was kept on pain pills that left him a bit loopy.

Ethan could move around now, though he had to be put into a wheelchair so his leg could heal. It wasn't easy, especially since his shoulder was wounded as well, and it was Wyatt who usually pushed him around, much to their displeasure. It was then, with Wyatt pushing him that an officer had come to him, and told him that Hannah's mother had committed suicide after finding that her husband had been carted of to jail. She had left everything of hers to the mayor, but he received nothing since he was a convict now. And so Ethan inherited everything, from the mansion, to the money, for he was the mayor's last relative.

Mallory had gone through two surgeries to fix her leg, and was told that she would end up walking with a limp the rest of her life. Although they managed to fix most of the damage, she would be left with a long scar that would never heal. Wyatt stayed with her every day, only leaving to get her food, to go home and change, and to wheel Ethan around. Bumblebee brought Christian to her almost every day, and almost every day, Mallory cried when he left. She would not be able to leave for another two weeks, but would still have to make monthly appointments to they could check on the progress of her leg.

Hannah's knee had been successfully fixed, and her only surgery was her shoulder, which the doctor told her would be simple. The cuts along her torso had taken over two hundred stitches and would leave a scar, though it would not be too noticeable. She had not handled the news of her mother well. Even Ethan, who had ordered his bed to be placed near hers, could not tame her tears. Instead, he climbed into her bed and held her until she fell asleep.

Harley had heard of her father's betrayal and refused to take his calls, at least until she got out of the hospital. She couldn't handle the emotional pain on top of the physical, so all talk of her father was forbidden. Harley had gone through one surgery so far, and would have to have more during her life, for the knife wound had ripped numerous muscles. She would not be able to walk normally on the leg again, so until they could fix it, she was either to be put in a wheel chair or use crutches. She chose crutches. It took four stitches to close up her lip, and she was forbidden from any sexual oral activities—to which she had groaned in mortification and refused to look Colt in the eye for two days— and could only have something that could be taken with a straw.

Twain had been in bad shape when he was rushed to the hospital, and it had taken three surgeries to successfully remove the bullets and to mend the muscles torn. He had slipped into a coma for an entire week, but had awakened with an attitude from hell. Waylin had tried to visit him, but Twain had turned from him. Katelynn had handled his injuries surprisingly well, and only smacked him over the head once when he finally opened his eyes. But news of his heroic act had spread to Gotham, and the police force there had been so impressed with his work that they somehow managed to boot out the Chief and replace him with Twain. At first, Twain had been weary of the task, for he had lost all respect for the JCPD, but when he found that _he_ would be the one to command everything, he gladly took the job.

Raven had slipped into a coma for three days to completely heal herself, and when she finally awoke, no trace of her wound remained. The doctor had wanted to run test to make sure everything was in working order, and when the results came back, Raven was completely healthy.

But for the rest of the Titans, things had not gone well. Starfire had been immediately taken to surgery, but because she was alien, a Tameranian specialist was called—Robin had taken the T-ship, along with Cyborg, and brought Galfore to Earth—and the earth doctors were shoved out of the room. Galfore and his team of Tameranian doctors had successfully removed one of her five stomachs and since the human blood was immediately destroyed by her Tameranian blood, Galfore volunteered to give his own. When they had done all they could do, they returned to their home planet, but Galfore had stayed. He waited with bated breath for her to wake up, before finally giving up after a week and returned as well. Robin refused to leave her side, and only left for a few minutes to visit Beast Boy. He never stayed long, for Raven was always with him.

Beast Boy barely managed to make it through the surgery. Raven had saved his life when she healed him in the hotel, but because Beast Boy shifted in his injured state, he reopened the wound in his back and ended up losing enough blood to kill a normal human. Thankfully, his animalistic traits kicked in and had managed to fuel his body with enough blood to keep him alive. All bullets had been successfully removed, and doctors did what they could to mend the muscles that had been damaged. But it hadn't been enough. Raven had tried to heal him, but she had already been too weak. Healing herself had taken almost all the energy she had and she couldn't seem to dig up enough to cure him. So she sat by his bed, her small hand in his, while she stared at the whitewashed walls.

It was how Robin found her now, curled in a chair beside his bed with her hand tucked in his. But Beast Boy's fingers were lifeless and straight against the bed sheets, and only moved when Raven would gently squeeze his hand. Robin leaned a broad shoulder against the doorframe, arms folded over his chest.

"You need rest, Rae."

Her eyes slowly moved in his direction, before returning to Beast Boy's face. "No."

"He doesn't even know you're there, Rae."

"Starfire does not know when you are there, either."

Robin frowned. "You should get cleaned up. It's nearly six, and you've barely had any sleep since…I'll stay with him."

Robin watched as her small fingers stroked the back of Beast Boy's hand, but Raven seemed to be unaware of the fact, for her eye had returned to stare at the wall.

"Shouldn't you be with Starfire?"

"Mallory's with her. They finally allowed her to move around, and the first thing she wanted was to see Star."

When Raven made no moved to reply, Robin sighed. "You're hurting yourself, Raven. Beast Boy wouldn't want that. He'd want you to get on—"

"Stop talking about him as if he's gone," Raven ground out, her eyes snapping to him. Robin ignored the lamp that shattered beside her, concentrating solely on Raven.

"You can cry, Raven. No one will care."

"It's none of your business."

"You're hurting."

"Of course I am."

"The let it out."

She turned dull eyes back to Beast Boy's lifeless figure. Her fingers were still against Beast Boy hands.

"Cyborg came in yesterday," she said after what seemed like hours. Robin was slightly taken aback by the change of subject, but kept quiet and waited for her to continue.

"He cried. It wasn't just silent tears, but these deep, wracking sobs that he made no move to hide, even though I was in the room. He begged Beast Boy to wake up, pleaded with him. He even said he'd become a vegetarian if he'd only show some sign of hearing him. And when nothing happened, Cyborg wiped his eyes, and left, but not before saying that he would never forgive him if he died. And you know what? I couldn't cry. I just sat there, watching, listening, and not once did a tear even escape. Cyborg cried, and I couldn't even manage one tear. Even now, as I sit here, I can't cry…"

Her fingers resumed their trek across the back of Beast Boy hand, but this time, she watched. "You know me better than any one…almost more so than Beast Boy…so tell me…why can't I cry? I'm not afraid of my powers anymore…so I should be more than able to, but why? Am I that heartless? He's so still…his breathing sometimes becomes ragged and there are times when his heart just seems to stop beating…even then, I can't cry. I just…don't understand…"

Robin moved from his position in the doorway to move to the window, where the storm still lashed out against the world. It had yet to cease since that night in the woods, where everything seemed to change. Robin parted the blinds unconsciously with his index finger and middle finger, gazing out at the flood.

"If you cry, you'll know it's over. Simple as that. The moment you cry is the moment that Beast Boy is gone. It's why I refuse to cry over Starfire. I haven't given up on her yet."

Robin moved back from the window, his eyes roaming over her back. "You really need to rest, Rae."

Raven said nothing; her body completely still except for her fingers, which had moved to caress the long length of his index finger. Knowing that he would have no impact, Robin moved toward the door. But he stopped when Raven's soft voice said, "I'm scared, Robin."

"I know," he replied just as quietly as she had. "I'm scared, too."

"What if he doesn't wake up?"

"Then we'll worry about it when it happens. For now, just be with him."

The corners of her mouth turned down. "I though you wanted me to get some rest."

Robin gave her an empty grin. "You and I both know you can't get any rest when he's like this."

She gave a tiny nod as she pulled her fingers away from Beast Boy. She watched him silently, hoping for any sign of movement. When he remained still, she moved toward the bathroom. Robin gave her a reassuring smile before heading towards the door once again.

He blinked and glanced back when Raven's small fingers grasped his shirt. "Could you…" She trailed off, her teeth tugging gently on the scab that covered her lip.

Robin shook his head in mild amusement. "Fine, I'll stay with him until you get out of the shower."

Raven gave him a small smile before slipping into the bathroom and shutting the door. The sound of the shower running filled the small ICU room moments later, blending in peacefully with the rain that pelted the windows. Robin sighed softly as he settled into the chair that Raven had previously occupied.

His eyes studied Beast Boy features before a frown settled upon his mouth. It was so weird that the happy-go-lucky prankster that had been his friend for years was so dull and lifeless. His skin had reverted to its old, comforting green, but it was pale and sickly, clashing horribly with the white bandages that covered his entire torso. Beast Boy just didn't _fit_. When he had been in the tower infirmary, he had always raised a ruckus, screaming at people to bring him tofu when Robin had unconsciously told him to stay in bed. He would groan and moan until Raven or Cyborg slapped him over the head, or would play a handheld that he would scream and yell over. He had never been quiet, even when he slept. But there was nothing now but the incessant heart monitor measuring his heart beat.

Robin leaned back against the chair, still warm from Raven's body heat.

"Looks like we got into one helluva mess, huh, Beast Boy?"

He wondered vaguely if the myth was true about comatose people being able to hear before he ventured on. "It's amazing how much really has changed. Before this, you still acted as if you were four, instead of eighteen, and I acted as if nothing mattered but my emotions and myself. Raven was still a tightwad, and Starfire…Starfire was still innocent and carefree. Now, you've matured well beyond any of us, and now we have the high risk of losing you. Raven can't seem to function properly without you being here, with us, and Starfire finally realized how cruel this world is. I…well, I lost everything that ever really mattered. I lost Starfire, my pride, my dignity. I might be losing my best friend. I don't think I really ever mentioned how much you truly mean to me, Beast Boy. At the hotel, you mentioned things that ripped me apart.

"You were right when you said that I did not trust you when you turned into a beast. The first thing I thought was getting rid of you because you could be a threat. I didn't believe in you, or you abilities, and I never apologized. I never told you that your presence can tame a heated atmosphere, or that you really are one of the best Titans on our team. I can't count how many times you've saved all of our asses, and no one ever told you that we appreciated you. Cyborg picked on your color and love for tofu, Raven insulted you, and I just ignored you. I always looked right through you. Until now, I never realized how selfish I really was. You were a teammate, yet I treated you as if you were beneath me because you tried to bring light into our dark world. And you let me. You'd just shrug it off and keep trying. It's not fair. It not fair how any of us treated you. You never deserved our anger or our disapproval. I hated myself so much that I figured I'd drag you and our team down. I've hurt so many people, Beast Boy, but you…you give them hope. Look at Raven. No one could have done what you did. Not me, not Cy, not Star. Only you have the power to make even the most reserved feel as if they are the most important in the world. I know that if you could actually hear me, you'd say I was getting all soft and weird, but, to tell the truth, these are things that I have always thought. Without you, we aren't the Teen Titans. We could never be a team without you.

"I would get on my hands and knees and beg for your forgiveness, but it wouldn't help matters any. That, and it would be sort of pointless, considering you probably can't even understand a word that I'm saying. You probably don't even know I'm here. But I do want you to know that you are one of my best friends, even if you can get a tad bit annoying. We can't survive without you, Beast Boy. You can't give up on us now, not when we need you most."

Robin leaned back slightly, watching Beast Boy expression. There was nothing, not even the flicker of his eyes beneath his eyelids. "Dammit, Beast Boy," Robin murmured softly. "Why do you always have to be so damn stubborn?"

"It's just who he is."

Robin glanced up to see Raven standing beside his chair, the soft scent of her soap filling his senses.

"How long were you there?"

"Long enough to hear you say that none of us treated him right."

"Oh."

"You were right, of course," she said, moving over to the bed and sitting beside Beast Boy's legs. "We all treated him as if he were nothing. Except Starfire, but she never knew how to drag someone down." Raven pulled her knees to her chin. "I'd give my soul to have him look at me again, even just for a brief moment."

"I know."

Raven reached out slowly to lay her hand across Beast Boy's bandaged chest. "I'm healing him tomorrow."

Robin's eyes widened. "Raven, are you completely—?"

"It doesn't matter. I won't let him suffer like this anymore."

"But what if—?"

"Dying doesn't scare me, Robin. It's losing Beast Boy that does." Raven turned her amethyst eyes to his gold one.

"If you had the chance to save Starfire, but knew you would die in the process, would you still do it?"

Robin never though of his answer before he replied, "In a heartbeat."

Raven smiled at him softly, and he knew he could say nothing to dissuade her. He returned her own smile with one of his own, and for the first time since he lost Starfire, it was genuine.

"I better go to Star."

Raven nodded.

And Robin did something he had never done in his entire life. He leaned down and brushed a tender brotherly kiss against her forehead. Raven's eyes went wide before she smiled.

"Goodnight, Robin."

"He won't give up now that he knows you're here for him."

It was strange, but somehow right to see the tears gathered in her eyes. She seemed so fragile, so human, and so normal. Robin turned to walk out the door, turning slightly to glance back at his teammates. Raven had carefully crawled beside Beast Boy, and was already spooned against his side; head nestled against his uninjured shoulder. She reached across to intertwine her fingers with his before she drifted off to sleep.

With a soft shake of his head, Robin flicked off the light.

The halls were silent as he headed back to Starfire. A young blonde nurse smiled sweetly at him as he passed the nurses station before burying her head in a large file. He blinked once when he noticed her face was flushed and felt a flash of admiration for himself when nothing happen. No tug of arousal or wave of smugness passed through his heart. There was absolutely nothing.

Just as he was about to round the corner to Starfire's hall, he heard Starfire nurse cry out his name. Feeling as if his entire soul had been ripped from his body, Robin took off at record speed, only to barrel headlong into Cyborg. He was knocked back a good foot, and for a moment, he laid there, dazed and confused. When the little versions of Cyborg seemed to stop dancing before his eyes, Robin blinked and tried to get up.

But he stopped when Cyborg's grinning face appeared before him. It took him but a brief second to digest that smile before his entire body seemed to melt in relief.

"The first thing she asked was for you."

He couldn't move the relief was so great. All the worry, the pain, the aching fear seemed to vanish, but left behind a weakness so strong that he found it difficult to even breath.

"Hey man, are you going to lay there in the floor like a big ol' puddle of hair gel or are you going to tell her all the things I know you want to?"

Cyborg leaped back when Robin launched to his feet and darted past him like the devil was nipping at his heels. Then again, Robin had nearly ripped himself to pieces when Starfire had been in a coma, so maybe the devil had come to wrangle in his soul now that Starfire was up and about.

He blinked, poking his head in briefly. But it wasn't what he expected. Robin was standing in the middle of the room, looking as if he were made of stone. He didn't even seem to be breathing. Confused, Cyborg allowed his eyes to drift to Starfire. Her head was turned away from Robin, but there was no mistaking the tears lighting her eyes. Oh. Robin was torn between comforting her and running. The poor boy had no idea what to do.

Cyborg pulled back and shut the door softly. The nurse who had been waiting beside him with a box of tissue frowned.

"That's it? He just stands there? Teenagers," she muttered before turning back to her desk. "And here I thought he would give this gorgeous speech that would have me in tears."

Cyborg felt his nonexistent eyebrows rise. "Uh, you wouldn't have been able to hear it even if he did…"

"Ever heard of spying? Jeez, you kids are so slow these days."

Choosing to ignore that, Cyborg gave one final glance at the door before he sighed, and wondered off back home to his fiancé.

XxX

She looked away from him. Everything he had planned to say, all the apologies and words of love died in his throat when she turned from him. And so he stopped in the middle of the room, hands by his side as he tried to figure out his next move.

The absolute happiness at seeing her raged a dangerous war with the pain clogging his heart at her blatant rejection. She hated him, and was not afraid to show it. His mind screamed at him to run, to let her be alone to deal with all the hurt he had shoved on her, but his heart whispered for him to tell her everything, to try to make things right again. At the moment, neither side was wining.

He was a coward, but he couldn't walk away. He didn't want her to hurt, but he was selfish, and wanted to explain his wrongs. Every option his mind came up with seemed to shatter within his mind. All he could see was the pain in her eyes, the pale tint of her skin, the distinct wounds and bruises marring her once flawless body.

"I don't want to hurt you anymore." It didn't even sound like his voice. The sound that came out of his mouth was weak, and coated thickly with a pain he had no right to feel, not when she had gone through so much hardship.

"Nothing you say or do can hurt me more than you already have." It killed him, ripped his heart and soul to shreds to hear that monotonous voice that was deep with unshed tears.

He wanted to run, wanted to take her in his arms and hold her, wanted to erase all the wrong he had done, but all he could do was stand there, immobile.

"You never deserved this."

The tears in her eyes finally slipped down her bruised cheeks, and he broke, shoulder's sagging. He legs seemed to give from beneath him, and he hit his knees, body bending forward until it he was in a begging position.

"Sorry won't help the pain, or take away what I did."

He didn't have to look up to know the tears were coming faster, harder, that she was doing everything in her power to stop them.

"I hate myself."

He was ripping her apart again, but this time, it was worse. He was tearing down her barrier that she had been forced to build to keep the pain away. He was tearing, ripping, shredding everything she had worked so hard to build for his own selfish reasons, and he loathed himself, what he was, what he had become, but he couldn't stop.

"I lost you, and I couldn't survive. I couldn't work, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't breath. You weren't there and I collapsed. I shoved you away, ripped you apart until you were bare and bleeding, and still have the gall to love you."

He could hear the muffled sobs, the soft pleas, begging him to stop, to stop hurting her, to stop messing with her head, but he ignored her, as he always did.

" I have no right to sit here and beg for you to take me back. It's so wrong that I'm sitting here, hurting you again, even though I don't mean to. But I'm selfish. And greedy. I won't stop until I have you again. I'm only thinking of myself, but I can't fathom living without you. I can't imagine anyone else touching you but me, anyone else marrying you and dying with you but me. You were nearly killed because I was so God damn selfish, but I still want you with me. Always."

He was crying without knowing; voice cracking and hoarse, pain and tears burning his throat until he choked. But he didn't stop, even when she begged him to stop, to rest, to sit down and drink something, anything. She understood. She knew. _Stop hurting yourself. Please. _

"I hate what I am without you. I hate what I do, what I've become. I don't deserve what you gave me, what you've given me, but I've taken it selfishly. I destroyed everything, and nothing can fix it. I could tell you everyday how sorry I am that I hurt you. I could tell you that I hurt you because I was scared. That I was afraid of losing you like I did my parents. I could tell you that I wanted you to have better than a bird with broken wings and no real future. I could tell you that when I saw you hurt and broken that I wanted to scream and cry and beg God to take me, hurt me and not you. I could tell you that I love you more than I love my own life, but it won't change everything. You'll always hurt, and bear scars that no one should have. You'll still cry at night because I was selfish and cruel, and destroyed that innocence that made you who you are. I want to take it back, but I can't. I want to erase the darkness in you heart that I caused, but I can't. I can't, and that kills me."

And then she was in front of him, taking him into her arms, wounds still raw and bleeding. She was in pain again because of him, bending at the waist to press her forehead against his shoulder and murmur words of love and forgiveness that he didn't deserve.

He didn't deserve it, it was wrong, wrong, wrong, _wron_g, but he couldn't stop it, refused to stop it, and his soul was crying, bleeding aching, all for her, _all for her_. She was hurting for him, taking herself apart again to make him feel better, and he hated it. Hated himself. Hated her kindness. Her love. Hated life, hated his heart, hated everything.

But she was his, no matter how much it killed her, no matter how much it destroyed her.

But he didn't want that. He didn't want her to hurt for him, didn't want her to bleed and cry and scream for him. He wanted her happy, smiling, loving, wanted her innocence to shine through the shadows that coated everything. It was all he wanted. He wanted her, but could not have her, no, it caused her pain, so much pain, so much agony, and that was wrong, so wrong.

Be happy. Please. Just smile, and I can survive. I can live, breath, I can _be_ if I just know you're happy.

"You are my happiness."

She had pulled him to her chest, hands tangling in his hair as her tears caressed his skin. Crying again, why was she always crying when he was near her, his fault, all his _fault._

"Please, Robin, please stop. Stop hurting yourself."

But he deserved it, deserved the fire of hell, deserved to be ripped apart and left to die. He deserved pain and hate, but she would not allow it, never allowed, always protected him, never let him fall, and it hurt, it hurt so bad. Why couldn't he protect her, why couldn't he save her, why? Why? WHY? Why was life like this, why was he like this, why couldn't he just love her without hurting her?

Why?

"You did protect me, Robin. You were—are—everything I am. Without you, I am nothing. You deserve no pain, so please. I know, I forgive you, I always have. Please. Do not do this to me. When you hurt, I hurt, so please, stop."

Her mouth was on his now, hands weak and shaking as they clutched onto his shoulders. She was trying desperately to drag him back from the void that robbed him of light, robbed him of _her_. But it was so hard to drag himself back to her, to pick his broken body up and reach for her. _So hard_.

He was limp in her arms now, forehead against her collarbone while reality set in and the emotions returned to his eyes. His hands were completely still against her thighs, back aching and knees raw from hitting the ground.

Her hands were moving against his face, his jaw, his chest, anywhere, everywhere, and she was crying again, weak again, but she was whispering her love for him.

He wanted to tell her to stop, that he didn't deserve her love, but he couldn't. He could barely blink without collapsing. And she was hurting; he could feel it, in her touch, her heart, in her mind. She was in pain, but this time, it was physical.

"I love you." Was that him? Was that his voice or was his mind playing tricks on him?

"I know."

"Always have." It was him, but it was weak, so weak that he himself could barely hear it.

"I know."

"Don't leave me."

"Never."

And he collapsed.

Behind the shut door, four nurses passed around a nearly empty box of Kleenex to stop the flood of tears.

XxX

Cyborg had been the first person she had seen. The utter happiness on his face had warmed her heart and made her feel so loved, so important.

And the only thing she had said to him was, "Where is Robin?"

There were no soft smiles of gratitude, or thanks that he was there. Only questions of Robin. But she knew he had understood. She knew that he knew she loved Robin with everything she had, and it only added to the horrible guilt. He was her friend, her teammate, her brother, and all she could do was ask for Robin.

What did that make her? Was she selfish? Cruel? What? Why did she feel as if she were pathetic?

They were still sitting there, on the floor, his body cradled against hers. Her body ached in ways she never thought possible, but she didn't have the energy to move. She didn't have the energy to pull him up when he collapsed against her lap, so she sat there, wounds bleeding again and pain resurfacing.

He shouldn't have that power over her. One breakdown and she was putty in his hands once again.

She should have been ashamed at herself, but she could not work up enough strength to feel it. She should have been able to tell him that he had hurt her, and the she should never forgive him, but the pain in his voice destroyed all thoughts of causing him pain. She should have told him he didn't deserve her love when he told her that he loved her, but all she could think about was that he wanted, needed her, and that was all that mattered.

Weakness was an emotion she had no time for before, but now, she felt swamped with it, felt as if she were drowning.

But she didn't care.

Robin loved her, had admitted it, and that was all she could seem to focus on. He had hurt her, but he was sorry. He was scared and hurt and lonely and she wanted to be there for him, no matter what the consequences were.

That made her weak.

But it made her strong as well.

Cyborg had walked in the next morning to find her weakly caressing his hair, staring down at him with eyes that reflected everything she felt. He had said nothing, just stood there for a brief moment before he walked forward and picked Robin up, setting him gently on the empty bed beside hers. And then he was lifting her up, setting her down on her bed and pulling the covers over her cold body. She heard him call for a nurse to ask if they wanted to put the IV back in her arm that she had ripped out the night before. The nurse hurriedly went to work, leaving briefly to fetch a syringe to give her morphine to stop the pain.

The medication took effect almost immediately, numbing her body and her mind, forcing her eyes to drift close.

"Thank you, Cyborg."

She was floating now, moving away from reality and pain to drift into a dream world that she knew would hold no sorrow for her.

Cyborg smiled softly, laying a gentle hand on her forehead. "Anytime, Starfire."

And she was gone again, slipping away into nothingness.

Robin chose that time to stir and groan, reaching behind his back to rub at impossibly sore muscles.

"How'd it go?" He asked softly when the younger boy sat up completely with a grimace.

"I'm pathetic."

It hadn't been the answer he expected, but then again, Robin always did manage to throw him for a loop.

There were so many things he could say, but he settled with a bland, "No one's perfect."

"I hurt her again." Robin turned slightly to glance outside. The world was still gray and bleak, but the rain had yet to come. But Robin knew, that before his conversation with Cyborg was over, it would rain. "It's all I seem to know how to do."

Cyborg had always been a man of very few words when it came to serious conversations. He could spend hours and hours talking about technical details on his car or his newest weaponry system. But when it came to this, to actual feelings, he was at a loss.

"But you make her happy as well."

"It's not enough."

For some unknown reason, Cyborg felt a surprising amount of anger toward his teammate.

"There are times when you sicken me, Robin."

He kept his eye locked with Robin's, even when he lifted wounded gold eyes to his, searching for something, anything, to explain Cyborg's comment.

"Why can't you just be happy with the fact that Starfire is happy when she with you? Why do you always dwell on everything that went wrong? I used to peg you as one of those people who hurt others because they don't know how to make them happy, and I found that to be true. You are the only one who makes Starfire really smile, and yet all you think you do is hurt her. It a sick logic that only ends up hurting everyone around them. Tell me, how many times has Starfire come to you for a problem? How many times has she smiled at you when you did something sweet or kind to others? How many times has she brightened when you walked into a room? Now compare that to all the times she cried over something stupid you've done. It doesn't compare does it? You might have hurt her these past few weeks, but it's really been the only times you've done it. But it's all you pay attention to. While I was gone, count how many times she was happy with you, during this whole White Rose thing. It was quite a few, wasn't it? More times than when she cried. But you don't seem to realize that. That's the only reason you're hurting Starfire so much. Because you refuse to see the joy in what you have together."

"I know."

Cyborg blinked. Robin hadn't even thought of his reply before he answered. Confused, again, Cyborg walked to the bed and plopped down beside him, clasping his hands between his knees.

"Explain."

"It was how I was raised."

"Ah. Batman."

"Yeah. He taught me to see the worst in everything. Nothing is ever good and well. Never believe in happy endings. They don't happen unless you fight for it and see all the wrong in between. Trust no one but yourself, and you will survive in this world. I was young, and hurt, and I just wanted to the pain to go away."

Cyborg felt an intense dislike for Robin's guardian then. Twisting a young boy's mind to the point where he trusted no one was a sick way to survive. And Cyborg finally understood Robin. The man beside him had been shown the hero's way of life, and not the human. He didn't know how to love and trust at the same time. But he was trying, and Cyborg felt a whole new respect for the Boy Wonder.

"All you have to do is love her, Robin. Believe in her and in yourself, and you'll be surprised how easy it really is. Relationships are hard, but if you really want to be with her, you'll find a way to make it work."

Robin nodded. "You make it sound so easy."

Cyborg rolled his one human eye. "Let me put it this way: It'll be the same as it's been for years, but this time, you'll add a bit more physical action to the mix and a lot more gooey words."

Robin gave a lopsided grin. "Thank, Cyborg."

"No problem. Now, if you'll excuse me, Bumblebee has tricked me into seeing if I'm able to have kids or not."

Robin grimaced. "Good luck with that."

His answer was a snort and wave of a metal hand. Feeling a hell of a lot better save for the tender muscles in his back, Robin pushed himself off the bed and plopped down beside Starfire, stretching out his long legs before pulling them back in and resting his elbows on his knees.

He was quite for a moment, chin resting on his fist, before he said softly, "I'm ready to trust in myself if you're ready to trust in me."

XxX

She knew her powers weren't ready for this, but she had to try. She had to do something. She couldn't allow this any longer.

Her emotions agreed readily with her. Even Rage, though a bit reluctantly, was ready to join together and bring Beast Boy back to them. And so she had spent three hours mediating, gathering what little power she had left.

Thankfully, Raven needed no books or scrolls to help with this. All she needed was her mind and her heart. Pushing down the sadness that seemed to overwhelm her entire being, Raven turned to Beast Boy, laying both of her small hands on his chest. It didn't surprise her to find them shaking. Outside, the rain started to pour, drenching the already soaked earth.

Raven glanced down at her clothes, trying to calm her racing heart. She had decided to dress nicely for him. She had even raided Starfire's closet for a long white peasant skirt and lacey tank top with a chest length denim jacket, just so Beast Boy could wake up to see her dressed for him. Only him. Her fingers moved gently over the bullet wound in his chest, her long hair falling over her shoulder and curling beneath her breast.

It had occurred to her to cut it; long hair had never been her thing, because long hair was what her father had preferred. It had been easier to grab it in his hand and yank. So she had always kept it just beneath her chin, short enough to be comfortable, but long enough to tuck behind her ears. But Beast Boy had said he had loved it long, as he gently held a strand in his hands and let it caress his skin. He said it was different, and made her face so much more noticeable. So she would keep it long from now on, until change beckoned. Raven had to admit that she did like the heavy weight of it against her back, but Beast Boy was still the main reason she would always keep her hair long.

Raven was aware that she might not make it through healing him. The energy it would take would drain her completely, and could eventually kill her. But it didn't matter. She wanted him to wake up so badly that she was willing to kill herself to bring him back. As long as she knew he was okay, she could leave happily.

Raven smiled softly, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from his forehead, fingers lingering on his skin. And then she pulled back, blocking away everything as she laid both hands against his chest once again. His heart beat slowly, but steadily beneath her fingers. It was enough to tell her mind that she was ready.

She leaned down to brush her lips against his. It was hard to keep the tears from falling when he didn't kiss her back, but she told herself over and over that she would bring him back, no matter the cost.

She rolled her neck and shoulders before willing her entire body to relax completely. Her eyes fluttered shut, lips slightly parted. She could do this. She _knew_ she could.

She decided that it would be his heartbeat that she concentrated on, and nothing more. So she listened, felt the steady beat beneath his skin. She had no need to murmur her incantation, for this was coming from the heart, not the mind.

Warmth sparked in her fingertips as she let her energy flow into his body. She started slowly, to allow herself to get used to it, before she let it hit her full force. Her head fell back as the pain ripped through her. It was too soon for this. She wasn't ready. But she couldn't stop now.

Her fingers unconsciously curled as she healed him completely. She opened her eyes slowly, vaguely surprised that the entire room was black, save for her and Beast Boy. The energy surrounding him, soaking into his wounded body was solid white, and Raven had to snap her eyes shut against the blinding light.

From somewhere in the distance, she heard his door open, and Cyborg's frightened voice drifted to her exhausted mind.

"RAVEN! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? YOU'LL KILL YOURSELF!"

_Don't you think I know that? _

Beneath her fingers, Beast Boy heart picked up the pace, now beating normally. But she could feel her own slowly down to a dangerous speed, could feel the utter exhaustion of her emotions. And then she could handle no more. The light bled away, sinking back into her.

It was hard to keep on her feet now, and it took all her power to keep her body from crumbling to the floor.

"Raven?"

Her eyes snapped open, immediately glancing back at Beast Boy. He was watching her, dark eyes searching hers worriedly.

It took every ounce of strength she had to smile gently at him. "Glad to see you're awake."

And then her body gave out completely, legs collapsing beneath her. She was unconscious before she hit the ground.

Cyborg jumped for her, but he was too late. Beast Boy jerked out of bed, highly aware that there was no degree of pain in his body once so ever, and knelt beside her.

"Stubborn little witch," Cyborg muttered, smoothing away her hair from her sweaty forehead. "Damn girl never listens to anything anyone says."

"What's wrong with her?"

Cyborg scowled, calling for the nurse that had screamed and run out of the room while Raven had healed Beast Boy.

"She healed you completely, I guess."

Beast Boy frowned, gently moving her hand so it rested against her hip instead of being twisted behind her. "She's never passed out before."

"It's because she didn't have enough strength to do it. She used all her power to heal herself, and I guess it takes her awhile to regroup when she uses too much energy. But she was stubborn and healed you anyway. Dammit, Raven, I swear on your life that if you die, I will personally see to it that you're buried and not cremated like you wanted. I'll even bury you with that damn Malchoir book just to piss you off."

But Beast Boy's mind had frozen at the word 'die'. "Wait, she can die from this?"

"Yeah. If she uses too much energy, there's nothing to sustain her. She needs her energy to stay alive because she a half demon. It's all too confusing, even for me. I only know because I snuck in and stole a book out of her room that explained all the chakra and stuff she talks about."

Beast Boy was nearly in panic mode. "What do we do?"

"Hope to hell she didn't use too much."

It was then that Cyborg took full notice that he was having a conversation with Beast Boy. His hand froze on Raven's forehead.

"Dude, you okay? You look as if you saw a _oofh_—!" Cyborg grabbed Beast Boy in one of the tightest bear hugs known to man. Poor Beast Boy could barely breath.

"Cy," he gasped, pushing futilely at Cyborg's metal shoulder. "Dude, you're killing me."

Cyborg dropped him immediately and slapped him over the head. That was quite painful, considering Cy's hand was metal.

"Dude…_ouch_." Beast Boy used on hand to rub the side of his head while the other clutched his mistreated ribs.

"You damn idiot, how could you do that to us?"

"Do what? Jeez, you act like I just woke from a coma or…oh." At the sight of Cyborg's pain-filled human eye, Beast Boy trailed off. "How long was I out?"

"Two weeks. Doctor's said you wouldn't make it through the surgery. Said the only thing that was keeping you alive was sheer willpower."

"Oh…sheer willpower, huh?" Beast Boy sat back on his heels, eyes watching the rise and fall of Raven's chest as she breathed. "Didn't know I had that."

"You're an idiot, Beast Boy."

"So I've been told."

Beast Boy glanced up when silence settled over the room. He jerked back in horror when tears started to flow down Cyborg's face. "Dude! What the hell did I say?" Beast Boy panicked, hands flailing wildly. "Stop! Dude, I'm sorry! Seriously, whatever I said I didn't mean it."

Cyborg hastily wiped a hand over his eye. "I need to find someone."

Beast Boy watched, wide-eyed, as Cyborg walked out of the room. Confusing was too small a word at what Beast Boy was feeling. Beast Boy had never seen Cyborg cry before, and the fact that he was crying over something Beast Boy had stupidly said…it was disconcerting…in the worst way possible, actually.

Beast Boy probably would have sat there, brooding, if a doctor and two nurses had not of walked in.

"Oh dear," the old man murmured, kneeling beside Raven. But his eyes were on Beast Boy. They were wide behind large, thick bifocals that look as if they belonged in the eighteenth century.

"How are you awake? I never thought, I mean this is…"

"Raven healed me."

"Raven…oh. Oh! Dear, I am so sorry. Here you are laying here on a dirty floor and I'm prattling on about nothing."

Beast Boy made a move to lift Raven in his arms when the doctor held out a hand and practically yelled, "No! You'll rip your wounds, my dear boy!"

Beast Boy blinked slowly. "Raven healed me." He repeated as if the doctor were a mere toddler.

The doctor shook his fluffy white head. "But you should still have wounds, right?"

Beats Boy sighed, lifting Raven effortlessly in his arms and setting her down on his bed. He adjusted her until he was positive she would be comfortable before he turned and started to unwrap the bandages covering his torso. He was thankful that they allowed him to wear his boxers instead of a hospital gown, so it was easier to move about.

The two young nurses looked as if they were in heaven as Beast Boy revealed a lean, muscled chest, voided of all wounds. But the doctor was a different matter. He looked as if Beast Boy had sprouted an extra head and told him he was transsexual.

"This is absolutely amazing," the doctor murmured, popping up behind Beast Boy to run a gnarled finger against the spot where the exit wound used to reside on the Titan. "Absolutely amazing."

"That's Raven for you," he said with a smile, watching the doctor as he walked in a complete circle to view Beast Boy's uninjured body. "Everything she does is amazing."

The nurses pouted at the obvious love in the teen's voice, but figured that this would be their only chance to touch the almighty Titan without a shirt on. So they sidled up to him, each running a finger against his shoulder, where the bullet wound used to be.

"It's so cool that she healed him," the brunette muttered, throwing a jealous glance at the unconscious Raven.

"Yeah, but it sucks that she has Beast Boy," the other said, not even bothering to whisper it. Beast Boy stared at her in shocked embarrassment. She caught his gaze and shrugged.

"What? You're hot and we wanted you, but she got you first. No big deal."

Both nurses pulled back at the doctor's stern glare. Beast Boy's brain was on overdrive. First, he finds out he's been in a coma for two weeks and should have died, Cyborg cries, Raven nearly kills herself trying to heal him, and then he gets hit on by two nurses. Hell, this was too much for his poor little brain.

"Spectacular," the doctor added before standing in front of him. The doctor's head barely reached his chest. "But enough of this. Ladies, we have a new Titan to deal with."

"I'll sign a release form so you can go home, but I want you back to run some tests. I can't allow this phenomenon to pass without checking it out. Now, go take a shower and get dressed then come back. We'll take care of Raven," he added on a side note, using his hand to dismiss him. Beast Boy blinked. "What about my clothes?"

"What clothes? The ones you were brought in were ruined, and no one figured you'd live, so…here." Beast Boy watched in mild amusement as the old doctor took off his coat and handed it to him. "Wear this home, but bring it back. Your shoes are by the door. Now shoo so I can work."

Beast Boy stared at the white lab coat in his hands before he grimaced, and shrugged it on. Both of the nurses were grinning in his direction as he stared down at himself. The end of the coat barely hit his knees, and the sleeves ended at his forearms, pulling tightly against his skin.

"Dude, this is totally humiliating and I don't even have my shoes on." The nurses were giggling.

"You're still adorable, if that helps any," the brunette suggested, handing him his shoes.

"Shit, not after people see me like this."

The redhead sniggered. "At least the press gave up on you waking up a week ago. They're more interested in Alexander Twain."

"Twain? How is he?" Beast Boy had forgotten all about the detective.

"That's right. You were in a coma when all that went on. You know he quit his job, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, the Gotham police force heard of what he did, pulled a few strings, and now he's head of the Jump City police department."

"Seriously? They can do that?"

"Yep. Detective Twain is now Chief. Of course, he has to heal first. He was almost as bad off as you, but he woke up after a week and was as crabby as ever. Why are all the hot guys so mean? And let me tell you, that man is absolutely handsome." The redhead sighed in longing.

"He's taken also," the brunette chirped. "Has the most adorable little boy."

"Alright, Beast Boy we need to…talk about your fashion sense, for starters." Cyborg was standing in the hallway with an amused Robin behind him.

Beast Boy grumbled, attempting to cross his arms over his chest, but the coat was too small for the action.

Robin chuckled. "I take it you have no clothes?"

Beast Boy shook his head with a scowl. "Seems like I wasn't supposed to live through this, so no."

The amusement fled from Robin's face and Beast Boy could not stop the curse that slipped from his mouth. "Alright, people, what is your problem? Every time I talk about my injuries or dieing, you become all weird. Stop it."

Robin was the first to force a smile, followed by Cyborg, though he seemed more hesitant. "Tell you what. I have a bag of clothes in Starfire's room. You can borrow those until we get back to the Tower."

Beast Boy visibly relaxed at the word of home and nodded. "Okay. Sounds a lot better than this," he added, referring to the small coat.

"I'll go get that now." Robin turned to leave, eyes on Raven's still form before disappearing.

Beast Boy watched Cyborg's expression carefully. "Why did you bring Robin?"

"Because we need to discuss a few things on the way home."

Both eyebrows disappeared beneath his hairline at Cyborg's stern gaze. "Dude, what'd I do now?"

"It's not what you did, but what we did." And Cyborg walked out, baffling Beast Boy more than he ever thought possible.

Realizing that standing there wouldn't help him understand Cyborg's weird attitude, Beast Boy walked over to the empty seat beside Raven and sat down as the doctor checked her blood pressure.

"Do you know what's wrong, exactly?"

"Exhaustion. Overworking. Things like that. She rests for a few days and she'll be fine."

Beast Boy nodded. "When you check out of here, do not forget to come back so I can run a few tests, alright?"

"I'll be back, if only to see Raven and Starfire. You can find me then." The old man frowned before shrugging. "Drop my coat off at the front desk." Beast Boy watched him and the nurses walked out, the last two giggling.

Not moments before the doctor walked out, Robin walked out with a fresh change of clothes in his hand. He tossed them to Beast Boy. "Put those on for now and you can change when we get to the tower."

Beast Boy nodded, standing to go change in the bathroom. But Robin had walked out and shut the door behind him. Beast Boy glanced at Raven's still form, thinking it stupid to change in the bathroom when he had perfectly good privacy right here. Anyway, Raven wouldn't mind in the least, considering she had already seen and touched every inch of him. Beast Boy pulled on the simple jeans and pullover with flushed cheeks, plopping down to pull his shoes ever his feet.

But he didn't move when he was completely dressed. Instead, he leaned forward in his chair to watch Raven sleep. He smiled softly.

"It was stupid to heal me like that, Raven. I know you knew that it would be dangerous for you, but you did it anyway. You always were freakishly stubborn when it came to healing a teammate."

A soft knock on the door broke his one-sided conversation with Raven. Robin poked his head in. "Ready? Cyborg has the T-car warming up out front."

"Yeah, I'm ready." Beast Boy stood up, unconsciously rubbing his palms against his jeans. He glanced at Robin swiftly, and the Boy Wonder understood the hidden message, for he winked and shut the door.

Grinning, Beast Boy turned back to Raven, leaning down to kiss her softly. He pulled back to find her watching him, eyes still dark with fatigue.

"Go back to sleep, Rae. I didn't mean to wake you."

"I did it."

Beast Boy pulled back slightly before understanding dawned. He smiled down at her, running his thumb against her busted bottom lip. "Yeah, you did."

Beast Boy kept himself completely still as tears flooded her eyes, and she sat up, wrapping him tightly in her arms. It took him a minute to take actions, for having Raven hold him willingly was a miracle.

"I thought I lost you," she whispered against his neck, before pulling back and kissing him in a way that neither knew she was capable of. The kiss was simple, but far from innocent. It was he who pulled back first, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Sleep, Raven."

"But—"

"I'll be here when you wake up."

Her eyes searched his before her mouth pulled in a small smile. "You know I love you, right?"

Hearing her say it was unlike anything he had ever imagined. She had said it in his head, sure, but hearing her say it, right before his eyes, made his heart pound in his chest and his hands become clammy.

"I know. The feelings mutual, Rae."

"How romantic," she said weakly, rolling her eyes and allowing her body to fall back against the pillows.

"I know, right?" He chuckled softly, eyes smiling down at her.

Her smiled faded slowly, but the light in her eyes remained. "It's good to hear you laugh again, Beast Boy."

"I never thought I'd hear you say that."

"I never thought I would tell you that I loved you, either."

"Point taken. Now, you really need rest. That little stunt you pulled drained you completely." He tried to make his voice stern, but he knew it had little effect on her.

"Alright, mother." But her eyes were already slipping closed; one hand resting against her stomach while the other was curled beside her cheek. He leaned down to brush his lips against her forehead, couldn't help it, and moved back toward the door.

He smiled one last time before shutting off the lights and joining Robin outside the door.

Said man grinned. "I take it Raven's doing better?"

"I guess. She still weak after healing me, but other than that, yeah, she's fine."

"Good. She was a complete wreck while you were in that coma."

Beast Boy looked shocked. "Really? She was worried?"

Robin slid him an aggravated glance. "Beast Boy, we were all worried. Raven wasn't the only one torn into pieces because you were so hurt."

"Starfire?"

This time, Robin's glare was lethal. "No. Cyborg and I were, dolt."

"Look, it's nice of you to try and make me feel better, but you don't have to lie."

Robin looked like he was ready to slap him, so he prepared for the stinging hit. But it didn't come. Instead, Robin stopped in the middle of the hall, hands fisted at his side. Beast Boy stopped as well, eyebrows raised.

"Hey, dude, you okay?"

Robin's visible eyes were narrowed, as if he were contemplating a new tactic against a villain. It was quite weird, considering the White Rose Killers were being beaten to a bloody pulp in jail, hopefully.

Beast Boy couldn't help but flinch when Robin lifted those unique gold eyes to his own forest green ones, seemingly picking him apart, like he would do to a villain. Beast Boy suddenly knew how it felt to be one to wrong end of Robin. Not cool.

"I did something wrong again, didn't I?" Beast Boy leaned back slightly to think back to a mistake he could have made. It had to be the only reason Robin looked like that.

"You're an idiot, Beast Boy," Robin said softly, and before Beast Boy could even blink, Robin hugged him.

It was brief, but had an impact greater than any words could possibly hold. Robin pulled back, looking highly uncomfortable and lifting a hand to the back of his hand. "Never happened?"

"Yeah, sounds good," Beast Boy agreed readily, nodding his head and glancing around the hospital. "But before we start pretending…why?"

Robin shrugged sheepishly. "Seemed right?"

Beast Boy shook his head and faced Robin fully. "Explain."

Robin scowled, folding his arms over his chest. "Why can't you just leave it be?"

"Because that was…not a Robin thing to do. You're more likely to slap me upside the head, not hug me." Beast Boy blinked. "Dude that even _sounded_ weird."

"You need to sign out."

"And you need to explain."

Robin's trademark scowl held little heat as he snapped, "Not until Cyborg has a chance to add his say."

Robin walked away and Beast Boy finally realized that Robin was holding on to his upper arm. But he was too damn confused to say anything about it.

"Dude," he nearly wailed, "What does Cyborg have to do with you hugging me? Why is everything in riddles? Have I walked into a world where everyone says something that belongs on a fortune cookie?"

But Robin ignored him, which sent Beast Boy off in one of his fits. Beast Boy opened his mouth to yell, but snapped it shut, instead stomping to the front desk and grumbling about moody birds and mechanical brains, which, to the poor nurse handing him to form, made no sense whatsoever.

After signing what seemed like millions of papers, Beast Boy walked outside into the freezing storm. He would have turned and dived back into the heated waiting room in the hospital had he not spotted the T-car, parked only a few feet ahead. Both Robin and Cyborg were leaning against it, one on each side and looking as if they both had a stick shoved up their butts. Beast Boy felt his shoulders slouch. He was in no mood for another drawn out speech, and for the life of him, couldn't seem to figure out what he had done to deserve the Beast-Boy-we-need-to-talk look. Even Cyborg, who usually hightailed it when it came to speeches, looked ready to babble on about whatever he had done wrong. Steeling his spine, Beast Boy decided then and there that he would not allow them to give him a lecture. He was eighteen, for crying out loud, and Robin only had a few months on him. Cyborg had no right, either, to think he was higher than him, because he was still a kid a heart. And besides that, he didn't do anything wrong this time.

Right?

"Are you going to stand there and freeze or get in?"

_Come on, Logan, you can do this. Tell 'em you won't take any of their crap this time. _

"Not if I'm getting a lecture for something I didn't do."

Beast Boy felt a headache pound behind his temple as Cyborg and Robin exchanged confused glances.

"Lecture?" They asked simultaneously and Beast Boy fisted his hands at his side to keep from rubbing his forehead.

"You both have that let's-make-sure-we-put-Beast-Boy-in-his-place look. You know, the 'You've screwed up again' look? The one you give me every day of the year?" Beast Boy prompted with his hands, which, he realized now, were frozen. He frowned at them before stuffing them in Robin's hoodie.

Beast Boy burrowed into the red cloth, shuffling to the car. At Robin's raised brow, he poked his head out of his coat far enough to say, "Cold," and dived into the back seat. Robin grinned at Cyborg over the car, who was shaking his head in amusement.

"Good to have him back, huh?"

Cyborg smiled, eyes briefly flickering to Beast Boy, who was scrunched up in the middle of the backseat, trying to make sure the heater was on full blast. His grin instantly faded when Beast Boy began to push random buttons.

"Hey, fuzz ball, don't touch that! That is not a toy!"

"It's flipping cold, you big tube of metal!"

"First off, that insult sucked, Tofu Freak, and second, I'm cold, too!"

"Then get inside this thing you call a car and lets get moving! You've got both the freaking doors opened, and you stupid heater ain't worth a damn."

"Are you insulting my car? 'Cause it sounds like you are, and if you are, I'll toss your scrawny ass out of here so fast Raven'll need to heal you again."

"I'd like to see you try, Cyborg."

"Oh really? Come here you little freak of nature!"

Beast Boy's eyes widened when Cyborg made a grab for him, but he leaped from the car, nearly barreling over Robin in his haste to get away from the metal teen.

Robin stood back from the car as the chase began, watching with a soft smile. It was amazing how much he had truly missed all the bickering between the two. Now, as Beast Boy easily evaded Cyborg grasp, Robin finally realized what he had pushed away for so long.

"Dude, you've gotten slow," Beast Boy chided with a chuckle, effortlessly leaping over Cyborg's shoulder and skidding to a halt beside Robin. "Guess all that time with Bumblebee made you a drag a bit, huh, Cy?"

"Why you little—!" And the chase was on again, Beast Boy goading and Cyborg sputtering at the insults.

"Hey, now, remember, Beast Boy's still healing."

Beast Boy slowed down to a jog before completely stopping, bending at the waist with his hand on his knees and grimacing, trying to catch his breath. But he smiled at Cyborg when his heart rate slowed to semi-normal.

"Looks like you need some more training, Cy."

Huffing out a breath, Cyborg managed, "Same to you, short stuff."

Beast Boy straightened slowly, cringing at the soreness in his side. "Yeah, guess I have slowed a bit."

Finally, seriousness began to bloom in Cyborg's human eye. "Beast Boy," he started slowly. "We need to talk."

Beast Boy frowned deeply before he stood up completely and sighed. "Figures."

"We're not mad, Beast Boy."

At the look of confusion on the green shape-shifter's face, Cyborg added, "This is about what Robin and I have done wrong."

Eyebrows drawn together and hands on hips, Beast Boy opened his mouth to ask what the hell was going on, but decided against it. They would tell him in the car…the warm car…with a heater…

Once again, Beast Boy dived onto the backseat, buckling his seatbelt and scooting to the edge of the seat in hopes of warming his frozen body. Robin and Beast Boy followed suit, both climbing into the front seat and securing their seatbelts.

Beast Boy had thought that the talking would begin immediately when the car started to move, but silence permeated the air like a choking fog. From his perch in the backseat, Beast Boy studied their profiles. Robin seemed more interested in the world that sped by the windows while Cyborg concentrated almost too hard on the road.

Frowning at the unusual tension, Beast Boy leaned back against the seat and allowed his eyes to close. All that horse playing with Cy had drained him. Raven might have healed his internal wounds, but his mind was still trying to catch up to the sudden recovery. In fact, Beast Boy felt more tired that he ever had in his entire life.

Cyborg's eyes flickered to Beast Boy in the rearview mirror. He figured now was the perfect time to tell Beast Boy how they really felt. If they waited any longer, Beast Boy would be out like a light.

"Beast Boy," Cyborg said softly, watching as his eyes fluttered open and he seemed to force himself to attention.

Robin jerked his eyes away from the scenery, moving upwards in his seat so his back was ramrod straight.

"Hmm?" Beast Boy scrubbed at his eyes with his first, blinking rapidly to help keep himself awake.

"Ready for that talk? We have a ways to go before we get home."

Beast Boy shrugged. "I guess."

He watched as Robin and Cyborg seemed to have a silent conversation and sighed. He hated when they talked with their eyes. He never understood how people could interpret emotions from eyes, and this was one of the times where he wished he had to ability to read people.

"Dudes," Beast Boy finally said after minutes dragged on slowly and no one spoke. "Get to talking or I get to sleeping."

Cyborg frowned and thumbed Robin's thigh. Robin hissed in pain, rubbing the bruised spot with an icy glare.

"_Cyborg_ and I wanted to say that we were sorry," he snapped, eyes flaming in Cyborg's direction.

Beast Boy raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"

"We're sorry," Robin repeated, but this time, his voice had lost the cold tone that had been directed a Cyborg.

"I thought that's what you said the first time, but I had to make sure. Now, why are you sorry? There's nothing to apologize for, unless Cyborg did something mean and cruel to my tofu, which still better be where I left it."

Despite the serious conversation, Cyborg grinned. "I threw all that crap out when you left."

Beast Boy had a retort ready on the tip of tongue when Cyborg's smile fled, and he said softly, "But when you were in that coma, I went on a tofu-only diet."

Beast Boy couldn't have said anything if he tried. That one statement had him speechless.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Beast Boy managed a crude, "Bullshit." Wide-awake now, Beast Boy scooted farther up so he was practically between the front two seats. "You wouldn't touch tofu with a ten foot pole even if you were paid to do it."

"Things change when you think your best friend is dying."

Beast Boy stared at Cyborg, forest green eyes wide and lips parted in shock. That was the first time Cyborg had ever said that Beast Boy was his best friend. Usually, he didn't even mention that they were friends. He was usually classified as Cyborg's teammate, but for him to say it out loud…

"Dude, I have to be dreaming," he mumbled in bewilderment. "Next you'll tell me that you actually cried…holy hell." When Cyborg turned to face him, face totally serious, Beast Boy was at a loss for words.

"I can't…I don't…this doesn't…why would you care so much? I mean, I'm annoying, and loud, and useless, and I can't ever seem to do anything right. I act stupid all the time and pick fights about meat, of all things. I would think that you would be happy that I was gone—"

"Dammit, Beast Boy, we love you." Cyborg snapped, slamming both hands against the steering wheel. "And don't you dare make light of this by saying some stupid joke."

Beast Boy stared at both of them in silent bewilderment, eyes wide. "You…"

"We treat you like crap, but that doesn't change the fact that your like my brother. We're family, Beast Boy, and without you, we're nothing. We found that out when we thought we were going to lose you," Robin summarized, since Cyborg seemed like he was about to crush anything that looked at him wrong.

"That's what we wanted to tell you. You think that your useless, and we let you believe that. You'll never understand how much you mean to this team. I know we sound corny and cliché, but you are more important to us that you realize."

Cyborg's grip seemed to lessen slightly as Robin continued on. "Beast Boy, I don't do well with apologies and such, but I wanted you to know that you're not weak, or hopeless, and that most of the time, it's you who keeps this team together."

Beast Boy stared out the window, his fist pressed lightly against his mouth. It was all too sudden. He had loved, lost, and loved again, found out the true fear of knowing he was dying, and found that Cyborg and Robin thought of him as family. Too much too soon. His mind refused to grasp all the information, but his heart soaked in the words like a sponge does water.

"I made a pact with you while you were in a coma," Cyborg spoke up for the first time since Robin had given his heart wrenching speech. "I promised that I would eat tofu forever if you just woke up. But as I left, I found that that wasn't good enough. So I stocked up on tofu, cooked it up, and ate it. It was worse than I imagined, but I didn't stop eating it, because if I did, I felt like I was betraying you. I gave up meat because I made a promise to you, Beast Boy. Next time you tell yourself you don't matter to us, remember that."

The tower loomed in the distance, waves crashing angrily against the small island on which it was built upon.

"Robin's said it before, but I'm going to say it again, just to get it through your thick skull. You're our family Beast Boy. Our brother. And no stupid jokes, or fights will change that."

Something burned painfully in the back of his throat, and Beast Boy realized that it was tears. But he didn't cry. His eyes remained dry, even when Cyborg swept a hand across his human eye and Robin's jaw clenched tightly.

Cyborg pulled into the underground passage to park the car beneath the tower. It was silent, save for the pitter-patter of the rain against the steel tower. Cyborg shut off the engine, but no one made a move to get out. The silence was deafening in the small space and no one tried to stop it.

Beast Boy shifted slightly in the backseat, allowing his eyes to study is two teamma—no, to study his _family_.

Robin was gnawing steadily on his lips while Cyborg gazed off into the distance, metal fingers tapping rhythmically against his thigh.

"Thank you." Beast Boy voice was loud in the silence, making both Cyborg and Robin start.

"You don't know how much it meant to hear you say that."

And like a needle to a balloon, the tension deflated quickly. Tensed shoulders relaxed and mouths eased around the corners. "Can someone open a door? I think my frostbite's getting frostbite."

Robin rolled his eyes at the typical Beast Boy comment, unbuckling his seatbelt and climbing from the T-car. Beast Boy followed him eagerly, stopping and raising his arms above his head with a loud, content groan. "It's nice to be able to move again."

"Hell, it's good to be home again," Robin added, glancing around the dark garage.

"I know that's right." Cyborg scurried off to the far wall to flip on the light. Beast Boy sighed, dropping his hands to his side.

"I wonder if I even left any clothes here," Beast Boy mused softly, turning on his heel and marching up the metal staircase. "I mean, everything, even my bed, is at that rotten condo. But I'm sure I can find something…right? I mean, this is me we're talking about. I was bound to have left something imporant."

"If not, your uniform is still here," Cyborg offered, biting back a grin at the picture of a six foot two Beast Boy trying to fit into a five foot five leotard. That would be a sight, for sure.

"Not funny, tin man. You know good and well that my thigh would barely fit into that thing, much less the rest of me."

Cyborg chuckled. "I know."

"Not a pretty picture," Robin grimaced, trying to dispel the image that popped into his head.

"Thanks," Beast Boy said dryly.

"No problem," Robin grinned, following Beast Boy as he stomped up the stairs. Cyborg followed behind, heart pounding at the thought that Bumblebee was just a few floors away from where he was.

When they finally made it to the floor in which the rooms were built, all three split, heading to their respected room. Beast Boy's groan was heard throughout the tower when he walked into an empty room, save for a few loose socks and discarded boxes.

"This sucks!"

Cyborg chuckled as he reached for the button to open his door. He yelped when it opened a blur of black and yellow launched itself into his arms.

"You're back! Screws and all!"

Beast Boy rounded the corner just in time to see Bumblebee plant a kiss on the shocked Cyborg's mouth, and felt his face distort into a look of disgust. "Dude, not in public!"

Bumblebee did a double take when she spotted Beast Boy. She let her body slid down Cyborg's until her feet touched the floor, eyes wide. "I thought you were…"

"In a coma? Nope, Raven made sure of that."

"But…shouldn't you still be in the hospital?"

"Naw, Raven healed me. Everything's fine and dandy with me." Beast Boy gave a lazy shrug.

She combed a hand through her short hair in confusion before coping him and shrugging. "Whatever. Where's Robin?"

"Here." He popped up beside Beast Boy, eyes scanning the hallway. "Where's the munchkin?"

"Playing."

That sparked Cyborg's attention immediately. "Where?"

"You're room."

All three younger teens grinned at the look of horror on Cyborg's face. "Don't worry, Sparky," she assured him, patting his chest plate, "I didn't give him anything that would cause him any bodily damage."

"How comforting," Cyborg murmured before poking his head into his room. Christian was sitting on the floor, holding up a square piece of metal to his face, and seeming to study it. He poked and prodded it, then, much to Cyborg's horror slammed it down against the floor. When nothing exciting happened, he grunted and tossed it harmlessly to the side.

Cyborg tried to dive for it, but Bumblebee grabbed his arm. "Do you even know what that is?"

"No, but if it was in my room, it had to be important."

She rolled her eyes. Turning, she walked into the room and scooped the curious toddler into her arms. "Robin's here."

Christian perked up immediately, gray eyes scanning the group of people loitering in the halls. When his eyes landed on the tall, raven-haired man, he reached out tiny arms, silently asking him to hold him. Robin smiled and took the child into his arms.

Beast Boy watched the exchanged before saying, "I need a serious shower. I smell like hospital and antiseptic, and that ain't gonna work for me. But first, I need to dig out some clothes." Beast Boy turned on his heel, disappearing around the corner and leaving the rest to watch his departure.

"Where's Starfire?" The toddler asked, innocently looking around for his favorite redhead.

Robin smothered a frown. "She's not here."

"Momma said she was hurt bad and was sleeping for a long time."

"She's right."

"I can't go see her because Momma says that I'll hurt."

Robin had been away from the child for so long that he forgot how freakishly smart he was. He should have been used to the adult-like conversations that the toddler and he seemed to always share.

"Again, your mother is right."

"Have you seen her?"

Robin frowned. "Yes."

"Did you hurt?"

Robin hesitated. "Yes."

"Oh…" Christian glanced around the hallway. "Can I go play now?"

Robin was more than happy to oblige the child as he gently lowered him to the ground. The kid always had an uncanny knack for making Robin feel even worse about his relationship with Starfire…or lack thereof.

He watched silently as Christian scampered off before turning on his heel and heading back to his nearly empty room. The air was cold as the door slid open, the simple overhead light bathing him in a crude yellow. The smell was the same, but a bit stale as he stepped into his room completely. Robin walked in cautiously, eyes locked on the collage littering his wall. Memories flooded his mind, drenching his mind in past pain. He could remember the constant fear, the anger, and the obsession that had pulled him away from his friends. From Starfire.

Robin ran a finger against the broken mask, a frown setting camp on his mouth. No more. He would no longer allow himself to dwell in the past. Robin stood back slowly, eyes scanning the newspaper clippings and gadgets that he had managed to snatch during the constant fight between him and Slade.

Suddenly, he smiled softly. "It's over."

Robin reached up and ripped the pinned paper from the wall, shredding it until the floor was covered in tiny shards of paper. When his wall was completely voided of all things Slade, Robin realized he had released himself from his own chains.

And damn did it feel good.

XxX

The pain seemed to have lessened. Starfire sighed in annoyance as she tried to sit up, only to fall back against the pillow when the movement sent dull knives of pain through her stomach. It annoyed her to no end that she couldn't even do that one simple action, but she reminded herself that at least the pain was minimal and only an aching tug pulled at her abdomen.

"You can do this," she encouraged herself, taking a deep breath and letting it out. "You are just sitting up. You do it everyday. One little wound shouldn't keep you from it."

She tried again, closing one eye at the sudden pang of pain. But she managed to make it into a sitting position, and let a happy grin settle over her features at the accomplished feat.

"Knew I could do it."

Starfire threw back the covers and had almost swung her feet over the side when she noticed Robin leaning against the doorjamb. The grin disappeared, only to be replaced by an unsettling frown. It had been three days since Robin had confessed his supposeded love for her, and not once had he come to see her. Starfire had long ago given up hope that he would come, and seeing him now sent a sliver of pain through her healing heart.

She watched him, hands clutching the side of the bed. Her eyes narrowed slightly. There was something different about him. His eyes were lighter, brighter, and the usual stiffness of his shoulders seemed to have disappeared. And he was _smiling._ Something had definitely transpired while he had been away from her.

"Good morning, Star."

Her frown deepened. Even his voice was different. What had happened to him to make him so…content? It had nothing to do with her, that was for sure, and she couldn't help but feel a tad bit hurt over the fact.

Robin fingered something in his pocket before moving closer to her. Starfire couldn't help the way her body immediately stiffened, and if Robin noticed, he showed no sign.

She expected him to sit down in the chair beside her bed, but, much to her surprise, he stepped in front of her. She kept her eyes straight ahead, but that really did not help matters any, for she was now staring at his chest.

"Starfire, we need to talk."

Now she did look up at him, and felt her heart stutter in her chest at the soft look in those golden eyes.

"You have said all you needed to," she mumbled, nibbling on her bottom lip.

"I don't think I have."

She frowned.

Robin sighed, raising his hand and letting his fingers drift over her jaw. Starfire tried to jerk from his touch, but he held her chin between his thumb and index finger, preventing her from moving. And the jackass actually looked amused, which had her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"I was absolutely pathetic yesterday. I shouldn't have broken down like that, but I won't apologize."

She dropped her gaze from his, and concentrated on the lump in his left jean pocket. She blinked, squinting slightly. What was that…?

"I wasn't lying when I said I was in love with you."

She scowled when her traitorous heart picked up speed and pounded against her ribs.

"And I was dead serious when I said that no man would marry you but me."

She ground her teeth together when that stupid organ in her chest came to a halt at the word marry. Did her damn emotions have no pride?

But her eyes widened when Robin reached into his left pocket and brought forth a small, white box. She had seen those before in movies, where the hero proposed to the heroine. He wasn't…he couldn't be…was he?

He sighed again. "Look, Starfire, I know that it's too soon and that you are between hating and loving me right now, but I want you to know that I love you and that I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

He opened the lid and pulled forth one of the most beautiful rings she had ever seen. "You might not be aware of the significance of this ring," he explained, lifting her left hand and sliding it onto her third finger, "but this means that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Marriage, which is what I'm asking of you, is nothing but a legal contract that shows we are together, but what I want is to be able to wake up next to you every morning, and I want us to have kids—though maybe not right off the bat—and I want to grow old with you. This sounds like something you would find in a corny romance novel that Raven hides under her bed, but I mean it."

He stared at the hand he was holding, running his index finger against the ring. "I'll understand completely if you tell me no. I deserve it. But before you do, I want you to know that I've started over. I…no more obsessing over Slade. He's done with. He won't haunt my nightmares anymore. And I won't push you away anymore. I know what it's like to lose you, and I can't do it. So this time, if anyone is going to do the pushing away, it's you."

Starfire opened her mouth, but shut it immediately, tear-filled eyes still on the ring.

"This is sudden, I know, and you're probably still trying to digest the fact that I do love you, but I bought this to show you that I'm not lying. This isn't like before, when I would show you some sign of loving you, and then hurt you. This is real, and right, and this time, you hold all the strings."

He lifted her chin once again, rubbing his thumb over her cheek when the tears spilled over.

"Starfire," he asked softly, "would you mind if I kissed you?"

She must have nodded, or shown some sing of acceptance, for his mouth lowered to hers seconds later. Robin had kissed her like this before, but this time, it felt so different, as if all those other times had been a prequel to this. This kiss was nothing but mouth against mouth, but it had her heart pounding in her ears and a sob catching in her throat.

He pulled back, his forehead resting against hers. "You don't have to tell me anything yet. I can wait." He gave a soft, empty laugh. "I can wait forever."

Her hands curled into a fist, pulling back from his hold. Robin stayed still for but a brief moment before be moved away. He turned his back and rubbed his hands over his face when she slowly pulled the ring from her finger.

It was amazing how much that one action hurt. But he had expected this. He knew she would reject him, but it didn't stop his heart from shattering in his chest or ice to freeze his veins.

He refused to look at her when he said, "You can just leave it beside the bed. I'll have Cyborg or someone come and get it later." The emptiness in his own voice shocked him, but he was too busy trying to figure a way to pick up the broken pieces of himself to really care.

There was nothing more for him here. He had finally and officially lost Starfire, so staying was pointless. "I think it'll be best if I just don't come back for awhile. At least until you're released. It'll be easier on both of us, I think, if I just stay away for a few days."

Or years, but he refused to say that out loud. It would be petty and stupid to bring her down more than he already had. Besides, this was for the best. At least now there was no chance of him hurting her again.

"Yes."

To think that that one simple word could rip what was left of his heart…Emotions worked in weird ways.

"Right." Robin turned away, heading for the door. "Goodbye, Starfire."

He had barely made it to the door when he swore he heard her say, "Don't leave."

Robin paused, turning back slightly. He knew his mind was playing tricks on him when he saw her standing, holding the ring in her palm as she stared down it. Starfire hadn't called him. There was no reason for her to.

Robin's eyes lowered to the ground as the pain set in once again. "I really am sorry, Star." Ah. Now the emotions decided to surface in his voice. He knew, the second he walked out of this room, it would be all over. All he would have left was broken memories of a love that never had a chance to really bloom. And it was his fault.

"Robin."

Wait. He had actually seen her mouth move that time…right? Seriously, it had moved… Dammit all to hell and back.

"Starfire, please, just tell me to leave."

Her eyes lifted to his, and he had to turn away from the tears that fell from those beautiful green eyes.

"I did not say yes to you leaving."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

Starfire held this slim ring in her hand, running her fingernail over the diamond. "You love me, correct?"

Robin hesitated in answering. What was she getting at? "More than anything."

"You have given up on the pursuit of Slade, correct?"

He turned his body so he was facing her completely. "Starfire, where are you going with this?"

She lifted her chin. "Answer my question, Robin."

"Yes."

"And you wish to spend every waking moment with me, answer all the questions I have, and create the babies together?"

He couldn't help but give a crooked smile at the last question. "Yeah."

Robin watched with aching relief as she slid the ring back on her finger. "And I will be the only woman you ever think of?"

"You always were." At her stern glare, Robin added a swift, "You have my word."

"No more Rebecca incidents?"

"Never again."

She gazed down at her hand, rubbing the sides of the ring with her middle and pinky finger. "And you will not hurt me?"

Robin moved towards her slowly, giving her plenty of time to move away from him. He waited before reaching out and running the back of his fingers against her bruised cheek. "I'd rather die than purposely hurt you. I might be a jackass now and then, but I will never hurt you like I did before."

She nodded slowly, allowing her eyes to meet his. "I will be difficult."

He smiled. "So will I."

"And I wish to have children as soon as we can."

Robin opened his mouth, before closing it. "You know what that requires, right?"

The corners of her mouth twitched, and for the first time in a long time, her eyes were bright with the innocence he feared she had lost forever. "I am sure you can teach me."

His cheeks flushed, and her small smile turned into a full-fledged grin. "Alright."

"And this…marriage thing…how soon can it be done?"

"Depend on if you want traditional or a quickie."

She stepped closer to him, tilting her head back farther to watch him. "I wish to be properly married on my planet as well. And I want a true Earth wedding. But soon."

"Married on two planets, huh?" Robin gently moved a strand of hair over her shoulder, letting his fingers linger against her skin.

"Galfore would be most displeased if we did not have a traditional Tameranian wedding."

Robin pondered over this before asking, "I won't have to wear anything weird, right?"

She smiled. "You shall see."

Robin chuckled slightly before leaning down and brushing his mouth against hers. "I guess I can suffer through anything you have to deal, so long as you marry me."

Grinning against his mouth, Starfire murmured, "Anything, you say?"

XxX

By the time she finally opened her eyes, four days had past. Beast Boy had nearly driven himself and his teammates made with his incessant worrying, and Robin—now the happiest he had ever been—finally managed to knock some sense into him… literally.

So when Raven finally came to, Beast Boy was sitting in the chair beside her bed, rubbing the tender knot on the side of his head.

She said nothing, just watched him curse incoherently. She felt a smile tug at her mouth when he finally glanced in her direction. His entire body seemed to freeze, and his eyes widened. Raven noticed that he had somehow dyed his hair back to its normal green, and he at last looked like the Beast Boy she had fallen in love with so long ago.

"Raven," he breathed in shock, before his entire face seemed to light up. "'Bout damn time."

She rolled her eyes. "Such a romantic."

She barely had time to gasp before he stood up and kissed her, hard. Raven blinked slowly when he pulled back, and managed to say, "That's better."

"You scared the hell out of us, Rae."

She shifted until she was propped up against the pillows, hands immediately lifting to smooth out her hair. The one downside to having long hair was the bloody tangles…

"When you didn't wake up after the second day, I started to panic."

Raven raised and eyebrow. "Now you know how I felt." But she blinked. "How long was I out?"

"Four days, two hours, twelve minutes, and around thirty-seven seconds."

Both eyebrows rose at that. "You kept track?"

"It was either that or bug Robin and Cyborg until they hit me, and with both of them in pandemonium at planning a wedding—"

"Wedding?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, Robin asked Starfire to marry him, she said yes, and now he's trying to figure out a way to plan an earth wedding and a Tameranian wedding."

"Married? They're only eighteen."

"So? When you're in love, age doesn't matter. It's what adults don't seem to realize."

Raven nodded. "Wait, Starfire's awake?"

"Oh yeah, you conked out before Starfire woke up." Beast Boy plopped down at the end of her bed, sitting Indian style and facing her. "Yep, she up and awake. She had to stay for a while longer, though, because the doctors want to make sure the surgery went through smoothly. And she has to get the stitches out soon, so they figured they'd just keep her."

"I take it a lot had changed while I was out."

Beast Boy nodded. "Yep. I even thought about asking you to marry me while you were out, but figured that it would seem like I was copying Robin…now that I think about it, Ethan asked Hannah, when she turns eighteen, and Colt gave Harley a promise ring, that, well, promises he'll marry her when they are both old enough, and you already know that Wyatt and Mallory are getting hitched after she goes to college…dude, I'm the only one who hasn't asked my girl to be with me forever. Well, that just sucks…but you probably wouldn't even be ready, and—"

"Did you actually buy a ring?"

"Ah…well, sorta…yeah, I guess I did."

"How do you 'sorta' buy a ring?"

"Well, I didn't buy it exactly. It was my mothers, and I just remembered I had it, and thought about giving it to you, but, well, like I said before…"

"So technically, you just asked me to marry you…"

Beast Boy suddenly seemed uncomfortable, a bright red creeping along his nose and cheeks. "W-well, that all depends. If you say yes, then I did ask you, but if you say no, then I was just pointing out the fact that I wanted to ask you, but didn't." He cleared his throat, casually rubbing the back of his neck.

"You have the ring?" She asked offhandedly, peering out at the storm.

"Uh…" Beast Boy blinked before he leaped up and started to dig through a duffle bag that had been tossed carelessly onto a chair beside the window. He gave a soft, "Ah-ha," before hoping back onto the bed.

"She gave it to me in her will," he said, holding up the gold ring with one of the brightest, largest diamonds Raven had ever seen. "Said that it had been in the family for, like, ever, and that I was supposed to give it to the woman who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with."

"And you want to give it to me." Raven stated monotonously.

Beast Boy looked confused. "Yeah."

He blinked rapidly when Raven stood up, albeit slowly, and walked to the bathroom. She paused and turned around. "Stay there," she ordered, before disappearing into the bathroom. She poked her head out of the door a few seconds later.

"What's in the bag?"

"What? Oh, just some clothes for both of us, toothpaste, your toothbrush, soap, ya know, junk like that."

She nodded slowly before walking out completely and grabbing the bag from the seat. She stopped beside him. "Four days, you say?"

"Uh, yeah, four days," he said slowly, confused.

She nodded again before shutting herself off in the bathroom. A few seconds later, he heard the shower start.

Okay.

He just practically proposed to her, and she goes to take a shower? There was something seriously wrong with that picture. Beast Boy frowned deeply, folding his arms over his chest and brooding.

He should be insulted, shouldn't he? He pretty much bears his soul to her, and she goes and takes a freaking shower…great. This was worst than when he made love to Terra for the first time, and she ended up laughing because he had had no idea what he was doing. He had been insulted then, and he was insulted now.

Beast Boy was in the same position thirty minutes later, when Raven walked out of the bathroom smelling of his soap and looking utterly delectable. But he was insulted and refused to think of her as attractive at the moment…even though that shirt flattered her curves very nicely…and those pants, even though they were about two sizes too big, hugged her hips just right…

No! He was insulted. She had taken a shower after he proposed…ah, now she didn't look too appealing.

"Alright, Beast Boy, get on one knee."

It took him an entire minute to process her order. "Huh?"

"Get down on one knee. If I'm going to marry you, you're going to propose to me the right way. I'm not too happy with the place, and being in my pajamas doesn't help, but refuse to tell my children that you proposed to me because everyone else did it. Now, down, and be romantic, too."

He stared at her in bewilderment. "You…will you say yes?"

Raven rolled her eyes, placing her hand on her slim hips and tossing her wet mane of hair behind her back. "Beast Boy, I did not just take a long shower and brush my teeth until they shined just to say no to you."

He blinked rapidly. "You took a shower so I could propose to you right?"

"No, I took a shower because I find it unbecoming to make love with you dirty. Now, are you going to get down and propose or look at me like I've grown another head?"

"Wait…you want to…here? In a hospital?"

"Won't be romantic, but it'll do. Unless you have something against it…"

"No! Hospital's fine!" He said quickly, leaping to his feet and sliding down onto his knees before her. He made a big show of taking deep breaths before his turned serious.

"You know I don't know how to be romantic without being corny, right?" He thought it only fair to warn her before he spouted off his love for her.

"Beast Boy, tell me what you feel and stop stalling," she warned, but her eyes were soft and there was no scorn in her voice.

Beast Boy grinned and nodded before taking her hand and slipping on the ring. "I love you. I have for a long time, and I know, without a doubt, that you are the only woman who I want to insult me, and bicker with, and love with all my heart. Terra was nothing compared to you, and I want nothing more than to have you by my side until I'm old and wrinkly and need a cane to keep from falling flat on my face."

Raven rolled her eye at his lame attempt at a joke, but her eyes were wet with unshed tears.

"Raven, will you do the honor of dealing with my horrible jokes, and marrying me? Raven Logan does have a nice ring to it," he prompted with a smile, his fingers rubbing gently circles against the back of her hand. "Do you love me enough to want to spend an eternity with me?"

Raven blinked, and an entire waterfall of tears started to fall. Damn Beast Boy and his heart-warming proposal.

She opened her mouth to give him a sarcastic comment, but she couldn't do it. This was too imporant to ruin with her loud mouth.

"Yes, I think I do." The grin Best Boy gave her was so happy that she couldn't help but smile back. He stood up and lifted her clean off her feet before lowering her enough to kiss her softly.

As Beast Boy gently lowered her down on the bed, she tapped her finger against her mouth. "You know, Raven Logan _does_ have a nice ring to it."

XxX

Alrighty folks, that was the last real chapter of The White Rose. Next will be the Epilogue, and then it's done. This was the longest chapter I have ever written, and I want to apologize if anything seemed rushed or seemed to drag on. I tried to make sure everything went smoothly, and I, personally, think I did a pretty good job of it. And the Robin thing, well, sorry if it go repetitive. Believe me, it was _a lot_ worse than what it is now, so that's a plus.


	43. Epilogue

_The trial was held two months after each girl had been released from the hospital. It lasted for over a week, and each victim waited with baited breath as the verdict was decided. Their lawyer had mentioned offhandedly that the jury was in the room for less than an hour before they decided the White Rose Killers' fate. _

_Starfire and Raven, both of them married, sighed in utter relief as the jury found all three of them guilty of all charges, while the other three girls scrubbed at tear-filled eyes. _

_Charles McRyerson, also known as Marty Rays, was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole._

_Lance Ortega was to spend two consecutive terms with no chance of parole. _

_Raymond Jones lost all title to his job, and was sentenced to thirty years, all of which had to be served. Bail for all three men were over six million separately, but all knew no one would pay to put them back on the streets. _

_But Rebecca and Kenneth were never found. The search had lasted until the trial, with groups scouted out across every border. Rewards were posted, but it seemed that both White Rose accomplices had disappeared from the face of the earth. _

_So finally, the five survivors of the White Rose were allowed to live normal lives…at least as normal as it could get for heroes. _

_Starfire and Robin were married weeks after she was released from the hospital. They shared their day with Beast Boy and Raven, as well as Bumblebee and Cyborg. All three married couples spent their honeymoon (of course, they waited until after the trial) scattered around the world while the rest of the Titans East watched the tower. _

_Raven and Beast Boy had spent their honeymoon in Ireland. During the stay, however, Raven became violently ill, and both were forced to return home. Beast Boy had rushed her to the nearest doctor, only to find that she was but a mere few weeks pregnant, and that she had nothing to worry about. Morning sickness was common in pregnant women, or so he said. _

_Robin had waited until the wedding night before teaching Starfire the joys of lovemaking. They spent most of their trip in Paris locked away in their room, and did very little sightseeing. They returned only a few days after Raven and Beast Boy. Robin and Starfire moved into Robin's room, since his was much larger (and on an entirely different floor from the rest)._

_Cyborg and Bumblebee had decided that they wanted to spend their honeymoon roaming around the country. They were gone far longer than the rest, spending an entire three months away from home. When they returned, they were greeted with the sight of a slightly pregnant Raven, and an upset Starfire, who swore she had gained weight and that even Robin's shirts were becoming too small. No one had noticed it before, but as they glanced down at her stomach, they had a slight idea as to why Starfire was starting to get bigger. _

"_You're pregnant," Raven said, and had merely raised an eyebrow when Robin seemed to faint. _

_Six months later, on October 28th, Starfire gave birth to twins. Shiamar—or Shia—was born six minutes before his sister, Samara. He weighed seven pounds, eight ounces, whereas his sister weighed seven pounds, four ounces. As they both grew from infants to toddlers, their parents noticed that they had inherited traits from both of them…and not just physical traits. Shia had his father's raven hair and tall, lean build, but other than that, he was his mother's son to a point. His green eyes mirrored his mothers, reflecting a kind personality and the joys of interacting with others. Samara, however, was the polar opposite from her brother. Though she had her mother's flaming red hair and towering height, she was exactly like her father. Her gold eyes were usually somber and intelligent, and she easily became obsessed with things she did, especially when it came to training or keeping perfect grades in school. She was, however, an introvert, and rarely talked to anyone, unless it was her family or Christian, whom she seemed to take an interest in, even at a young age. When the twins were only five months old, Starfire became pregnant once again. Starfire later found out that she was triplets, this time, and gave birth to three beautiful girls: Dahlia, Adara, and Kiranne._

_On Halloween night, at exactly twelve o'clock, Raven brought Grey Arella Logan into the world. Thankfully, she had her mother's pale skin tone, topped by violet hair and stunningly lavender eyes. But she had her father's pointed ears, and, Raven suspected, would also bear his fangs and shape shifting ability. To which, months later, she found to be true, when her daughter morphed into a tiny wolf-like puppy to nip at Shia when he snatched away her toy. By the time she was two, and she finally grew into her looks, her parents found that she was an absolute beauty, though she was amazingly tiny. Everywhere she went, it was remarked how hauntingly beautiful the little girl was, and more than one child designer wished to use her for a guinea pig to model their clothes. Beast Boy decided that Grey was never to be seen in public, to which Raven slapped him over the head. Raven became pregnant again at the same time as Starfire—it had become a long running joke that Raven and Starfire had to be conspiring to get pregnant at the same time— and on December sixteenth, just days before Bumblebee had her daughter and the triplets were born, gave birth to Dante Logan, who looked exactly like his sister. Later, he would force his mother to dye his hair black, for he refused to have _purple_ hair. _

_Bumblebee gave birth to Sophie Victoria Stone on December twenty forth, minutes before the clock struck twelve. Sophie had not been created naturally, but it was Cyborg's blood that flowed through her veins. That, and his love for mechanics. By the time she was five, Sophie was already helping her father build cars in his new shop, which he co-owned with Wyatt Hallowell. _

_Mallory and Wyatt married right out of high school, where she immediately went to Jump City University to become a physiatrist, and Wyatt went to school at a mechanical school. Starfire and Robin looked over Christian while they were gone during the day. But Mallory became pregnant again two years later, which was completely unexpected, and had to take a break from college for short period of time. Nathaniel, or Nate, as they would call him, was born on April 4th, the same year that Christian turned five. Wyatt graduated two years before Mallory, and one evening, while their children were playing on top of the fenced in roof, Wyatt mentioned he wanted to own his own shop where he was free to build whatever the hell he pleased. Cyborg agreed readily with him, and a few minutes later, they were discussing floor plans and a name for the store they would run together. _

_Hannah married Ethan when she was eighteen, and became pregnant weeks after. Nine months later, she gave birth to twin girls, whom she named Roxanne and Ryanne. Both of them had their mother's curly golden hair and their father's pale eyes. It was nearly impossible to tell them apart, save for the freckle beneath their eye: Roxanne's was beneath her right, whereas Ryanne was beneath her left. _

_Harley, the second she had permission from her mother (Harley's mother had filed for divorce from Waylin, and the minute it was settled, he disappeared from their lives forever.) married Colt, and at the age of eighteen, gave life to Sebastian Gage Davis. He had his father's dark curly hair and strong build, but his mother's aqua eyes and nearly her entire personality. Colt figured out that Bastian had his mother's scary temper at the age of two, and now, instead of dealing with only one brat, he was dealing with two. _

_Katelynn, Twain's wife, gave birth to two healthy boys only four moths after Twain was released from the hospital. Chase and Cameron were identical as well, but there was no physical difference between them. Thankfully, their personalities drew them apart. Chase was wild and carefree, where Cam was shy and serious, only letting lose when his brother joked around with him. They grew up with the children of the Titans, as well as the friends they had made, and were nearly inseparable. _

_So the Titans and victims of the White Rose Killers lived peacefully…_

_But no one ever said every tale has a happy ending…_

_

* * *

_

_Eight years later_

* * *

"Betcha won't do it."

Samara Greyson scowled at her friend, folding her arms over her chest and gazing out at her parents, watching mildly as they tried to wrangle up her three sisters. "You're wrong."

Grey Logan grinned brazenly, flashing bright white teeth, complete with fangs. "Am I? You know good and well you would never do that, even if someone forced you."

Sam huffed out a breath and turned her chin stubbornly to the side.

It was the anniversary of Darcy's death, a friend of her mother's and aunts who had been killed during the White Rose times. They came to the cemetery every year, since she had been an infant, and would spend hours out here, just so they could lay flowers—never roses—on the grave and talk of how life had been since then. Of course, it used to take only a few minutes, but now, with her parents and family having a total of a dozen children, it took longer, for the kids –especially Grey and Shia, who were so alike it was scary despite the fact that they usually hated each other—never stayed in one place without causing some trouble. So they would bring out a picnic, and everyone would eat and celebrate life.

Sam loved it because Christian always came. She never saw him much now that he was taking college classes, despite being only ten. Christian, they had found, was a genius, with an IQ way above 200. He could hear, read, or see something once, and remember it word for word even years later. He had flown through twelve grades, for everything, even advanced classes, was too easy. And despite the fact that he was young, he loved it. He would always remark that the college girls though he was so cute, and prevented older guys from beating him. (That wasn't a problem for him, though, because Robin gave him lessons at his dojo when he trained the Titan children. Robin made thousands each month just for giving kids martial arts lessons, which Christian thought was awesome. That, and it was enjoyable to watch Samara fight against others, though he would never admit that to anyone.)

But now, Christian was the reason she was having this heated debate with Grey. "You wouldn't kiss him even if I threatened to tell him that you love him."

"Grey," Sam hissed, glancing worriedly at Christian, who was busy playing football with all the boys. He might have been close enough to hear. It was bad enough that Shia and Dante knew…

"What? I'm just telling you that you won't do it because you're chicken." To get her point across, Grey morphed into a pale purple chicken and started to squawk loudly. The game stopped to see what the noise was about and all eyes fell upon Sam for an explanation as to why Grey was behaving as such.

Samara gave a hard tug on her long red ponytail before giving an embarrassed laugh. "She's…"

"Proving that Samara is a chicken." Grey finished, now back in human form and smirking dangerously while swinging her legs. The bottom of her feet didn't even scrape the sidewalk. Her height had always been a sore spot for her, despite that consolation that she would probably end up growing more. That, and her best friend, currently scowling in her direction, was already eight inches taller that she was, and was definitely not through growing yet.

Cameron Twain lifted an eyebrow while his brother merely swept the back of his hand across his sweaty forehead, before letting his hand run through his spiked hair.

"You do know that your sister and girlfriend are weird, right?" Chase asked, directing the question at Shia, who immediately blushed furiously.

"First off, yes, I am aware that my sister is strange, and second, Grey _is not my girlfriend_," he hissed, shoving his sweater up his forearms. "I'm only seven, for crying out loud. I don't think about girls like that…" He added with a slight blush, his shapely mouth pulling down in a frown.

"So am I, stupid, and I have a girlfriend." Chase said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah, Dahlia," Cam teased. As Chase's face heated, the rest of the boys laughed.

"Okay, first off, Dahlia can't stand me, and two, she's too freaky with those stupid glares she gives me." Chase folded his arms over his chest. "Besides, she's too serious for me even if I didn't hate her."

"Whatever. Can we play the game or not?" Christian asked, throwing the ball to Cameron, who hadn't been paying attention. The ball hit his chest hard, making the breath whoosh from his mouth. "Ouch," he breathed, rubbing a palm over the spot the ball hit. "Not cool, Chris."

But his eyes strayed to the two girls sitting on the bench, watching their game. He had to admit, though, that Sam looked quite pretty today, with her long, thick hair pulled back with a white ribbon and her cheeks flushed from the cold. But thinking about Samara like that did weird things to his chest and stomach, and he didn't like that at all, so he pushed her out of his mind, like he always did, and launched himself into the game once again.

Grey smiled wickedly. "Tell you what. If I do it, will you?"

Samara snapped her gold eyes back to her friend. "You want to kiss Christian?"

Grey looked horrified. "What? No! I mean, Chris is cute, but so not my type. He's too bookwormish for me. I prefer…Shia."

Sam made a face of disgust. "That's weird. You do realize that the only difference between my _twin_ and me is our hair color, eyes, and he happens to be a he, right? Look-wise, at least."

Grey shrugged. "So what? You're really pretty, and it helps that Shia looks really, really good. I mean, he's young and all, but one day…whoa…"

"Disgusting. And aren't we too young to be thinking about boys like this?"

Grey grinned and shook her head. " We're never too young to like boys. But if I kiss your brother—in front of mine, who will never let me forget it—will you brave up and kiss Christian?"

"What is your obsession with me kissing Christian? He's ten! I'm only seven. Besides," she added under her breath, "I don't know how."

Throwing her violet braid behind her back and sliding off the bench, Grey said, "Like I know how? This is my first kiss, too, genius. Besides, you'll thank me when we're older."

Sam watched Grey stalk off with a heavy heart. She was going to do it. She was going to kiss her brother, which meant she would have to kiss Christian. Her heart pounded roughly against her ribs and her pink and white hoodie seemed a little to warm, despite the fact that a thin layer of snow covered the ground.

"Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it," she chanted, digging her boots into the ground and wringing her white-gloved hands.

"Don't do what?" Came a three-girl chorus from beside her. She glanced down her three sisters. Although each girl had the exact same facial structure, their physical characteristics were unique. Adara, the oldest of the three, had raven black hair and gold eyes. Dahlia had her hair cut short, but it was the same dark blue-black as Ada. Her eyes, though, were green. Kira, however, had her mother's flaming red hair, but it was wild and curly, completely different from any of her other siblings. And strangely, she ended up with one green eye and one gold. It was the one thing that had people really pulling her apart from her sisters, since she shied away from everyone, sometimes ever her family. But Sam had a close relationship with her, for she so close to resembling her that it was often eerie.

"It's nothing," she said, tugging out of her thoughts and letting out a deep breath, watching the cloud of white it made in front of her.

"Why is Grey walking in the middle of the game?" Dahlia asked innocently, tossing her short black hair out of her green eyes and glancing up at her oldest sister with a raised eyebrow.

"Ruining my life," she croaked out when Grey snatched the ball from her brother's hands and rose up on her tiptoes to kiss him soundly. It was way too long for Sam's taste, though it only last for five or six seconds at most. Grey pulled back with a flushed grin and walked off, her brother staring after her, his green eyes wide and shocked. The graveyard was completely silent. Even the parents, who were sitting down and talking about old times, were quite and wide-eyed. It was Sebastian and Nate who broke the silence, who started to make gagging sounds and pointing their fingers to their mouths'. They were only five, and found anything romantic to be sickening. Roxanne and Ryanne giggled softly, both of them leaning against their father, since Hannah was feeding their sibling, Cody. Melody, Hannah and Ethan's third daughter, who was only two, lifted big blue eyes to see what the ruckus was about before resuming her interesting game of spreading snow against the blanket with tiny gloved hands. Malachi, Raven and Beast Boy's two-year-old son, slid open lavender eyes to glare at the older boys. The noise had woken him up from his slumber and he was _not_ pleased.

Starfire snickered while Robin hid a grin at the horrified look on Beast Boy's face. Raven merely looked amused, where Cyborg and Bumblebee let their laughter loose. Sophie put down the radio that her father let her dismantle and craned her head to see what was so funny. Wyatt was too busy trying to keep Nate from running off and not finishing his meal, while Colt was trying to keep his son from smearing peanut butter all over his jeans. Twain smirked at his wife, who tried to wipe the amusement from her mouth. They had to deal with it when Chase and Connor kissed their first girl, so now, it was someone else's turn.

Dante watched his sister with a frown. He had inherited his mother's attitude, and usually went through life monotonous, never putting much work into anything that seemed unnecessary, like first grade…but this…this was bad. His older sister kissing someone? She was only a year older than he was, and he thought _he_ was too young to even think about…girls. His sister and Samara where really the only girls he tolerated. Well, and Kiranne, but she was so shy that she never really spoke to anyone, so she was on his good list. But everyone else…

"Nice," Chase said, picking up the ball that lay beside Shia's feet. "Heck, I'd be in hog heaven if Grey or Samara did that to me."

Shia snapped out of his daze quickly, and glowered at him, whereas Dante let out a lethal snarl. "Chase…"

Chase blinked at the younger boy before he grinned. "Don't worry. Grey and Sam are like my sisters. I just had to find a way to snap you out of your daze."

The heat in Shia's eyes died down, but his heartbeat refused to slow. Christian patted him on the back. "I feel for you, I really do. Being kissed by a girl in front of all these guys is seriously—"

But he never finished, for Samara had popped up, face nearly the color of her hair, and pressed her lips against his. It was far shorter than Grey and Shia's had been, but his heat stopped, then resumed beating even as his face heated with the most intense blush he had ever experienced.

She pulled back quickly, her green eyes round and wide, as if she couldn't believe what she had done. "Sorry," she breathed. She turned on her heel and nearly ran back to Grey, who was applauding enthusiastically and calling out, "Bravo!", as well as her three sisters. Christian watched, almost in a daze, as she plopped down on the marble bench and gently pressed two fingers to her mouth, which lifted into a pleased grin moments later.

Shia gave an exaggerated sympathetic sigh and patted his shoulder. "I feel for you, too, buddy."

Now, it was Beast Boy's turn to laugh as all the color drained from Robin's face. "That's it," he said, and was well on his way to snatch up his little girl and hide her away from all men when Starfire jerked him back down. Despite the fact that he was now owner of his own dojo and worked out everyday, Starfire was still twenty times stronger than he was…come to think of it, so were his children. It was one reason he hated dogs piles…

"She is growing, Robin," Starfire said softly, shifting around so her back was pressed against his muscled chest. "They all are."

"She's seven."

"I was seven when I got my first kiss," Cyborg said, watching in proud fascination as his daughter put the radio back to together in record time.

"See? It is of normal age." Starfire felt her husband sigh and chuckled.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"I do not like it, either." Starfire said.

"It's getting time for lunch," Harley mentioned, plucking her son from the blanket and placing him in her lap. "The hellions might be hungry."

"Yeah." Twain stood up, dusting off his slacks before calling in a booming voice, "Lunch is ready!"

He managed to get out of the way before Grey came racing up in the form of a cheetah and nearly pounced on the basket.

Cyborg grinned at Beast Boy, who was scowling, and handed Grey two hamburgers—real meat, of course—and watched as she practically inhaled them.

"That's my girl," Cyborg said, patting the spot beside him. Grey sat down eagerly, reaching for another of Cyborg's homemade hamburgers. Cyborg, since Grey had been at the young age of two, had been sneaking her meat when Beast Boy had not been looking. Despite the fact that she was most of the animals she ate, she couldn't tear herself away from her beloved meat. Her father hated it, but she knew he loved her anyway, even if she was a carnivore.

But Beast Boy had gotten back at him, for Sophie was a vegetarian to the max. She moved away from her father to sit next to Beast Boy, and picked up a tofu hot dog from the plate he offered. Beast Boy ruffled her short hair, which made her smile, and tossed the mustard to his daughter, who instantly smothered her hamburger in it.

Raven watched her daughter eat, unconsciously stroking her toddler's soft, violet hair, who was sleeping peacefully in her lap. No matter how many times she had seen it, she still couldn't believe her tiny, petite daughter could eat so much, and still stay the size of a stick. She was always hungry, and was always eating, no matter what. They actually had to keep a small refrigerator in her room so she could eat whenever she pleased. And if anything, she never gained an ounce of weight. Raven had been worried about that, and had taken her to the doctor, but he assured her that because she was a mixture of animal and demon blood, she burned off more fat and calories than normal, so she had to keep her body sustained with food to keep from becoming weak and sick.

"Seriously, is there going to be any food left?" Cameron asked, plopping down beside Adara, the oldest of the twin girls, and snatching a chip from her plate. It seemed that Cameron was only comfortable around Adara, who was his polar opposite. At school, he was shy and docile, until she came around, and a whole new personality emerged. Of course, his brother did the same thing, but he was usually chasing around some girl in an upper grade.

He watched as hands grabbed at food, trying to find the best time to make a move, before a plate was shoved under his nose. "I made it before Grey came. Figured it'd be the best time."

Though she was only a year younger than he was, Adara was pretty smart. It was nothing compared to Dahlia's intelligence, but it was there. She was the wild one of the sisters, and usually never stopped moving or playing around. She wasn't shy at all, and he figured it was what made her so comforting. She was pretty much his confidence, whereas he was her calm.

"Thanks," he said, taking the plate from her small hands. He smiled softly when he noticed she had made his hamburger just as he preferred it. Onions and mayo only. He glanced up, only to find his brother smiling at him. He flushed, couldn't help it, and asked, "What?"

"Nothing, Cam. But seriously, dude, you'll need gum after that."

Cameron frowned and was about to make a remark when Adara fished out a packet of gum from her heavy camouflage coat. "I know the drill, Chase. You're not the only one with bad breath after eating, you know."

He easily caught the stick of gum she tossed. He sent her a smile that was meant to be flirtatious. But he was only seven, and flirting was still new to him. "You're a doll."

Adara frowned, gold eyes narrowing. The wind picked up, and everyone held on tightly to his or her plates while Grey protected the large picnic basket like it was her baby.

The wind whipped through her long black hair and Cameron had to nearly peel it from his face. She glanced at him when he handed her the strands back embarrassedly, and laughed cheerfully. "Sorry."

"Hey, Kira, do you have a rubber band I can use?" She asked. Kira glanced up, her different colored eyes blinking as she thought. "Yeah, hold on."

She pulled both of her long red pigtails over her shoulder and pulled a green tie from the tips. She handed it to Cameron, who was nearest. As she undid both her braids, her sister gathered up her hair and tied it, so loose strands framed her pretty face.

Kira frowned slightly. Though everyone said she looked exactly like her sisters—whom everyone deemed was so beautiful—Kira felt like she was the ugly duckling. Her sisters both had black pin-straight hair that was so soft and healthy, whereas hers was a flaming mass of untamable curls that never obeyed her command. No matter how many times Aunt Hannah or Aunt Harley straightened it, it would be curly again in just thirty minutes. Her eyes were strange as well. Where one was gold, the other was green. People always found that strange, and it didn't help that they said it out loud either. Her confidence was low enough already.

"Kiranne, please, put your hair up. It's getting in the way." She snapped out of her thoughts to see Dante moving a long, wayward spiral of hair from his sleeve with a frown.

"Oh." Humiliated, she reached for her hair when she felt someone gather it up from behind.

"I love playing with your hair," she heard Katelynn say and tilted her head back to smile at her aunt. "I don't have any girls of my own, and Chase and Cameron won't let me play with their hair, so you get to be my guinea pig. Besides, you have the most beautiful hair. I'd kill to have this." To prove her point, she picked up a spiral curl and twisted it softly around her finger.

"It's very pretty, huh, Dante?"

He raised an eyebrow, glancing at Kira from the corner of his eyes. Her face was flaming as she picked at her food. The wind tugged once again at her hair, sending a wayward curl toward him that Aunt Kate had missed. He caught the soft scent of her shampoo before Aunt Kate tugged it back so her hair was all behind her, nearly flowing onto the blue blanket they had laid out. "Now, now…what shall we do…?"

While Katelynn played with her sister's hair, Shia stood up and threw away his empty plate.

"You are done already?" Starfire asked.

"Yeah. I was hungry after playing for so long." He glanced at Grey. Their eyes clashed, but both of the glanced away with a flaming flush. Even Grey, the most outgoing of them all, looked shy.

Shia cleared his throat and bent down to rummage through the cooler for something to drink.

"All right, after this, we'll go down and see Darcy, then head home. Grey still needs to go to her piano lessons and Sam to her art classes. The rest of you can come to the Tower if all parents think it okay. Sound good?" Robin asked, eyes drifting over to Twain.

He shrugged. "Fine with me, but Kate and I have to get to work now. Sorry we couldn't stay, but duty calls."

Starfire smiled at Katelynn, who was twisting her daughter's hair into a very messy—yet cute—bun.

"We'd love to watch Cameron and Chase. How is Connor, by the way?"

"Good. He wanted to spend time with his friends, so I let him slide this one time."

"I get to slide next time," Chase muttered, only to have his twin chunk at chip at his head. He plucked it off his thigh and popped it into his mouth.

"We'll discuss that later," Twain said, standing up to dust off his jacket. "I'm going to go ahead and head out. We've got a string of unsolved cases that need solving. You coming, Kate?"

She nodded. Twain had finally allowed her to join the force once again, so now she work in his division. "Sure. You can take Cam and Chase with you, right?"

Robin nodded. "Yep. We have plenty of room."

They watched the older adults walk off. "I would have never thought that our tower would become a day care of sorts," Cyborg said when the children had scampered off. Sophie had taken the little children off to play, while Sam held the bundled Cody in her arms. She sat close to them, on the bench, cooing softly at Cody.

"Well, I would have never thought that I would have five children by the time I was twenty two," Robin said offhandedly, quickly saying, "Not that I regret it or anything," when Starfire turned on him with glowing eyes.

"Things change as people get older," Raven remarked, one hand linked with Beast Boy's, even as he munched on another tofu hamburger and her other hand caressed the soft skin of her toddler's jaw. "It's still hard to believe that I own my own night club, Beast Boy has his own vegetarian restaurant, Starfire's teaching Tameranian at the high school, Cyborg and Wyatt are in their own business, Hannah's fast becoming a tycoon, Mallory's a physiatrist, Colt decided to join Twain in the police force, Ethan's setting himself up to become mayor, and we're all under thirty. Nice change, considering just years ago we thought we'd never make it to our twentieth birthday."

Mallory watched as her oldest son leaned over Samara to watch the infant before he whispered something to her; both of their faces flushed a bright red as she turned her head to face him. "I'm pleased with how everything turned out. Now, we have nothing to worry about. I mean Rebecca and Jonathan are probably dead or in Mexico or something."

"Marty will never get out again, either," Hannah added, her head against her husband's shoulder as his fingers made lazy circles against her back. "We can really live our lives now without looking over our shoulders."

"Or worrying about our daughter's being the target." Robin frowned at his own statement, and immediately, all parents turned to watch each girl. Christian was now sitting beside Samara, ignoring the comments of his younger friends, and talking quietly to her, probably about what she did. Grey was yelling at Shia for something or other, and jerked the ball out of his hands, only to shove it into his chest. Adara was sitting Indian-style in front of Cameron, who laughed softly at something she said. Dahlia was leaning back against a tree while Chase sat in front, picking at a dead piece of grass that jutted up from the snow. Kiranne was away from them all, gently rolling the snow into small balls and making a miniature snowman. Ryanne and Roxanne joined her, laughing gleefully when she smiled and flicked snow at them.

"I never thought of that," Ethan admitted softly. "I mean, I don't know what I would do if something happened to any of those girls. I see all of them as my family."

"But Rebecca would never go so far as to hurt our girls, would she?" Beast Boy asked, glancing at his wife worriedly. "Sam and Grey would be the first two she went after."

"We're panicking. She's gone, and so is Kenneth. Our daughters are safe. Nothing will happen to them." Robin assured them. "Rebecca is not that sinister. She might have been the one to come up with the killings, but she never really had any hand in the real murders. Just the rapes…" He frowned again. "Never mind. This is supposed to be a happy, calming time. We're here to honor Darcy, and worrying about something that will never happen on her day would be insulting."

"He's right, you know," Cyborg said, secretly glad that he had not crossed paths with the White Rose Killers. "Besides, we're the Teen—I mean, Titans. Just because we've retired from crime fighting does not mean we resume normal lives. Our children have been taught self-defense from Robin, and the Titan children have honed their powers to a point. Besides, from what I've seen, those boys of yours are highly protected over the girls. Nothing would ever happen to them."

"You're right. We have nothing to worry about," Colt said with a grin. "Cyborg's right. Our kids, and the ones yet to come, are completely safe."

"Yeah. And you have to keep in mind that we have Twain on our side. He's not the complete jackass he used to be."

"So why are we all down? Our babies are safe, it's a beautiful day, and we still haven't seen Darcy…by the way, did anyone think to bring flowers?" Harley asked.

The adults blinked before cursing beneath their breath. "I forgot. Ryanne and Roxanne decided they wanted to decorate the couch with toothpaste, so I spent most of the morning scrubbing the couch. I didn't even think of it." Hannah sighed. "At least our house smells minty fresh."

"Grey and Shia were screaming at each other again and Sam played peacemaker, which, as you all know, did not go over well, with Shia insulting his sister, and Sam being so much like me it's scary. So they got into it and it took Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy to pry Samara off her brother. Flowers never crossed my mind." Robin rubbed his sore stomach from where Sam has accidentally kicked him. It seemed that Sam was slightly stronger than her brother…

"The demon thought it would be funny to flood the bathroom, so he stuck a huge wad of toilet paper into the toilet. Thankfully, Harley walked in and saved the day. Did I ever tell you that Sebastian is a spitting image of you?" Harley elbowed his ribs lightly, frowning at his innocent grin.

"Nate wrote all over on of Christian's notebooks, so I'm sure you know how that went. Chris really only gets angry when someone messes with his work, and he had to rewrite an entire essay because of the red crayon markings." Mallory ran a hand through her short hair. "Flowers were the last thing I was concerned about. I was too busy trying to calm Nate down. It was so sweet, though, because when Christian yelled at him and Nate cried, he cooled down and held him, gently telling him that it was bad to mark over his big brother's work and not to do it again. That was a serious Kodiak moment. I think Wyatt recorded it, didn't you?"

Wyatt grinned. "Sure did. Makes a dad proud when his son comforts his younger brother."

Mallory shook her head. "But I don't think Darcy would mind if we went one year without laying flowers on her grave."

"We can always bring some back later," Cyborg said. He hadn't really known Darcy, but from the way his teammates talked about her, see seemed like the sort of person he would have liked. "I can run some by while the kids are playing or something. It's not a big deal."

Bumblebee watched her daughter ruffle Bastian's hair before she said, "So, want to go ahead and see Darcy?"

"Yeah. Sounds good."

* * *

Dante watched in mild amusement as his sister stomped on Shia's foot before storming off. From his perch on a tree branch, Dante yawned, leaning back against the trunk and folding his hands behind his head as he watched people meander about the cemetery.

He was still slightly upset about his sister's actions, but he was never one to dwell on things for long. It was too troublesome to deal with anger, or any other emotion at that. He'd rather be sleeping or lounging about that worrying about something as stupid as his big sister kissing someone for the first time. It was life. Things like that happened.

Lazily, he scratched his black head of hair before leaping down to the ground with the grace and poise of a cat.

Kira yelped, her body jerking into the air. Dante closed on lavender eye against the sun.

"You jump too easy."

Kira lowered herself to the ground. "Sorry."

"And you apologize too much. It gets annoying," he said casually, stretching his long, lean body, arms pulled behind his back.

Kira was about to apologize once again when she caught herself and slouched back against her big jacket. Thick strands of curls fell from her bun and caressed her tan skin.

Dante sighed and popped his fingers. "Whatever."

He plopped down, his back against the tree, and leaned his head against it, closing his eyes against the bright rays of the sun. He could hear Kira shuffle about timidly, could hear her heart pounding against her ribs, and smirked. If he concentrated hard enough, he could practically smell the nervousness radiating from her skin.

Smirking, Dante said, "Stop moving and sit down."

He heard the snow crunch beneath her and cracked up his eyes. She was sitting, as he had told her, and had her knees pulled to her chest, her head buried in the thick folds of her jacket so only her unusual eyes and flaming hair were visible.

"Why do you always do as everyone tells you to?" He asked, and wondered why he even cared.

She glanced up at him, blinking slowly. "Is that bad?"

Dante stared at the younger girl silently, wondering if she was joking or not. But her eyes were imploring as they studied his.

He frowned, shoving his clawed hands into his jeans. "I'd say so."

She nibbled at her lower lip and the slight scent of her blood made him glace down. She was peeling skin from her chapped lips, blood beading against the pink of her mouth. It gave her the appearance of a split lip.

"You know that's bad, right?"

She glanced up at him again before hastily letting go of her lip and swiping the blood off with a finger. "Sor—I mean…" At a loss, she shrugged slightly. "Habit," she added quietly.

He felt his mouth pull down in another frown. Why was it that this tall weed of a girl made him feel like she needed protecting? She sure as hell was physically stronger than him, and could easily beat both of her sisters in minutes, despite the fact that they were all trained equally. She was just so…pitiful.

He didn't realize he had said that out loud until those innocent eyes clouded. "Am I?" She asked softly, and for reasons unknown, he felt like the scum that his parents used to put behind bars.

He let out an aggravated sigh. "Here I was planning on getting a nice nap, and instead I'm stuck dealing with you."

Kira was quiet, even more so than she used to. He frowned fiercely, this time, when the thick smell of pain and humiliation evaded his senses; nearly drowning out the soft, clean scent of the snow.

She stood up, dusting the snow from her person, and murmured a quiet apology. He watched her walk off silently before slouching down in the snow and closing his eyes, trying to get rid of the guilt clawing at his stomach. Again, something only Kira could pull off. He had a bad habit of being sarcastic, just like his mother, and when he insulted others, it never affected him. But if he, or even someone else insulted Kira, he tended to get real angry, real fast. He didn't understand it all, but he figured it was because Kira was so easy to hurt. He still couldn't figure that out, though.

Suddenly, a shadow fell upon his closed eyes and cut out the light. "If you could just stay there, that'd be absolutely perfect."

"We need to talk."

Dante sighed wearily. "Sam, please, why can't you just let me nap?"

"You hurt Kira again."

That same damn pang again. "She's too easy to hurt."

He felt Sam settle beside him, her shoulders against his. Of course, he never minded Samara touching him. She had this comfort like his sister did, but she wasn't blood related, and, he had to admit, she was quite pretty, which did have its advantages.

"I know. She has no confidence."

"Well, there's a shocker for you," he muttered sarcastically, eyes popping open when she shoved an elbow roughly into his side. While he muttered and rubbed his sore bruised ribs, Sam said, "Don't be sarcastic. I'm serious. She feels like an ugly duckling compared to his sisters, and that doesn't help her confidence."

He turned lavender eyes to her, eyebrows—which were dyed black, just as his hair—raised high. "And you know this how?"

Sam leaned back against the tree. "Aunt Raven took a look into her mind one day, because momma was worried about her. She really thinks that she's nothing compared to Ada and Dahlia."

He watched her skeptically. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you're the only boy in this entire group she feels comfortable around. Even though you're mean, of course. Guess 'cause you're so cute." She laughed softly at his blush before becoming serious once again.

"Look, I know you're young—"

"Only a year younger than you," he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

She cut a glace at him for interrupting her. "But…I need a favor from you."

Dante wiggled down so his back was against the ground. Snow seeped into his jacket, but he was too lazy to move. "Depends."

"Brat," she murmured, before leaning down, hands on either side of his head.

Dante watched her, blinking rapidly. "What?"

"I want you to protect her."

Dante swatted at the hair that had fallen over her shoulder and onto his chest. At first, what she was asking didn't register. But when it did, his hands froze. "Protect her? What do you mean? Is someone trying to hurt her? Who? It's that stupid Thomas White, isn't it? I knew there was something wrong with him, especially since he won't leave her alone in art class—"

"Dante," she cut in, her lips curved in amusement. "I meant emotionally. Not physically, though now that you mention it, I'd prefer you do that, too."

Scowling at her amusement, he snapped, "Why me?"

"We've been through this already, Dante. Shia wants this, too. She'd know if Shia or someone else tried to protect her, but I know you'd do it easily. You don't put much work into what you do, and that's what we need. I mean, if someone insults her or makes fun of her eyes—"

"There's nothing wrong with her eyes."

She went on as if he had never spoken. "—then you can comfort her or kick that person's butt and tell them to back off. You have a pretty good reputation, I hear."

Dante turned his head away, muttering, "It was one stupid fight, okay?"

Smiling, Sam continued, "But if someone tries to hurt her in any way, you can protect her."

"She can protect herself, you know."

"But she can't protect her heart, Dante," she said softly, and for a minute, Dante really let himself study her golden eyes, which appeared human, though the iris was larger than most humans. There was genuine concern there, and Dante felt himself giving in. "Damn," he muttered.

"Watch your language, Dante!" His father screamed from the other side of the cemetery, and Dante popped up, nearly rapping his head against Sam's. She pulled back just in time, though, and let her eyes drift to Beast Boy. He had to be at least two or three football fields away.

"Curse again and I'll…take away your nap privileges?" He threatened weakly, turning to Raven for help. She sighed and said, "He can spend a few hours in my head." Beast Boy called out the threat, which Sam couldn't hear, and watched in amusement as all the color drain from his face.

"Won't do it again!" He called back, shuddering. No one wanted to be in his mother's mind…

"'Atta boy, Dante!"

"What was the threat?" She asked.

"Horrible…"

Sam shrugged and leaned back against the tree. She opened her mouth to finish convincing Dante to protect her little sister when she found Christian watching them both. From where she sat, she couldn't tell if he was mad, curious, or just watching them, but she flushed all the same.

"Umm…" He was walking toward them now, chunking the football to Chase and calling a timeout. "Uh…" Her mind seemed to completely shut off as he walked closer to them.

Dante raised an eyebrow. "Protecting your sister ring any bells?"

Sam snapped out of her lovesick thoughts at how cute he looked and glanced down at him. "Sorry. Girl thoughts."

"Really?" He said with fake enthusiasm. "I'm losing faith in protecting your sister if drooling over Christian is more important."

Sam's eyes flared with gold fire. "First off, I don't drool, and second off, nothing is more important than making sure my sister is not hurt by stupid comments because she happens to look different. If you don't want to help, fine, but it'll be on your head when she ends up hollow because of all the jokes." Sam stood up in anger, and had all the intentions of storming off when Dante gave a loud sigh and jerked her down by the hand. He noticed that Christian's eyes narrowed slightly as he stood before them.

"Look, Sam, I worry about Kiranne, too—"

"Liar," Sam seethed, arms crossing over her chest. "You treat her just as bad as the rest, if not worse."

Dante frowned. "I don't…I mean…she takes offense to everything," he added lamely. "Okay, fine, so I might be a jerk now and again, but I don't mean it. I just say what's on my mind."

"Well, every damn time—"

"Samara!" Came Beast Boy's sharp call, and she quickly called back, "Sorry, Uncle B!"

Sam took a deep breath, calming her flaming temper. "Fine…Kira is really fragile, as daddy says, and people hurt her easy. So, please, take care of her. I'm not in her grade. You are. I can't protect her when I'm in an entire different hallway. Dahlia and Ada aren't really aware of how serious this is. I mean they know she's shy and timid, but they don't know that she thinks she's nothing. You can change that."

She was vaguely aware that Christian stood in front of them, pale, fog-gray eyes watching them silently. A couple passed by them, taking Sam's attention away from them. They were young, maybe around her father's age, and were holding hand. The women, a pretty brunette, glanced down at them with a soft smile and walked off. Sam sent back a smile before she returned to business.

Sam tried to resume her speech when Dante said, "How do you know I can? I'm only six."

Sam smiled. "Because I believe you can. You'll at least try, right? I mean, you might not be able to help her confidence any, but you will protect her, right?"

Dante scowled and ran an annoyed hand through his hair. "Whatever."

"Dante," she said, her voice serious, more so than he had ever heard. "Promise me that you won't let anything happen to her? _Promise me_," she pleaded when he turned his head away from her.

Dante was hesitant in answering. "Okay."

"I think she wants more than just an 'okay', kiddo." Dante lifted his head to glare at Christian when his eyes landed on the thick, white scar slashing across the older boy's eyebrow. It was very noticeable against the dark hair of his eyebrow and all he could think about was Kiranne suffering from a scar such as that because he failed in protecting her.

Damn annoying emotions.

"Fine, okay, I swear on my life that I'll protect Kira against bullies, insults, jokes, and any other thing that could possibly bring harm to her. Okay? Can I take a nap now?"

"Dante," she said slowly, doubting he really meant it.

"I'm serious, Sam. I'll do everything I can to make sure she's not hurt. Promise. Want a blood seal on that?"

"This is serious—"

"I know, I know, okay? I might be a year younger than you, but I have eyes, too. I can see that she needs someone to help her out. I'll do it. Okay?"

Sam watched his eyes, causing him to blush and glance away, scowling at his stupid behavior.

"Thank you, Dante. Really." He felt his entire face flame as she brushed a kiss against his cheek before getting up and dusting the snow from her jeans. "I'm going to go steal Cody away from Aunt Hannah again."

Dante watched her walk off, almost in a daze, before he noticed that Christian was still standing in front of him.

He glanced up with a raised eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be chasing after your girlfriend?"

"Watch it, kid. And she's not my girlfriend."

From behind him, he heard Sam call Kira's name. He watched her stand up from the bench where she had been bundled up and walk slowly towards her oldest sister. Dante noticed, a frown setting on his mouth once again, that even her movements screamed insecurities. She watched the ground instead of watching ahead of her, and pulled the matching jacket her sisters were wearing up to her neck, as if hiding her face.

"Then why are you still here," he asked as he tore his eyes away from the girl he swore to protect.

"You have a crush on Sam, don't you?"

Of all the questions he could have asked, that was the last one Dante expected. Hence the reason his answer came out as, "Huh?"

Christian glanced over at said girl, who was sitting on a bench with her sister beside her, watching as she moved back the thick blanket covering the infant so Kira could peek at him. Kira gently ran a long finger against the baby's cheek, giggling softly when Cody's tiny hand closed over the digit.

"So what if I do?"

Christian glanced back down at him. He opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it and instead said, "I don't care."

Dante shook his head. "Yeah, you do."

"I don't think about Sam that way."

"Liar."

Christian scowled at the younger boy. "I don't like her like that, brat."

Dante shrugged. "Then I feel sorry for Sam. She seems to think about you like that. Maybe she should be the one I protect from getting hurt."

Christian frowned. "She doesn't like me like that," he told Dante, but it seemed like he was telling himself that more than he was telling Dante.

"That kiss proved that, Christian."

Dante left it at that, standing up and dusting off his clothes lazily, before walking toward Sam and Kira with a slothful strut.

Christian watched him, his mind churning with the information. Sam didn't like him like him. They were just friends…

Right?

* * *

Beast Boy smirked widely as they stood before Darcy's grave, linked hands resting behind his head.

Raven glanced at him, as did the rest, and asked, "What's that look for?" She adjusted the sleeping Malachi on her hip when he slid down. Raven knew he was beginning to show the effects of a cold, but he had begged her to let him come with them.

Beast Boy grinned wider. "Romance is in the air." Gently, he ruffled his son's violet hair, winking when Malachi cracked open lavender eyes and smiled weakly. He turned his head once again and buried it in the crook of his mother's neck before drifting back off.

Wyatt's eyes narrowed. "You've been listening in on the kids' conversations again with those animal ears of yours, haven't you?"

"Well, duh. You didn't know that? Why else would I have screamed at Dante and Sammy not to curse? I can't hear them from here without trying, now can I?"

"That's so wrong," was the only comeback Wyatt could manage, but now, Beast Boy had him curious.

"What romance?" He asked after a long pause. "Not that I'm interested or anything."

"You're right. It wouldn't be interesting when your son is the one in love."

Wyatt pounced, then, hurling questions at Beast Boy without taking a breath. Was that what they were doing behind that tree? Is it official? He's too damn young to be in love, right? What was he supposed to do? Should he talk to him? Was it time for 'The Birds and Bees' conversation?

"Wyatt, sweetheart, calm down. Christian is just going through a crush." Mallory patted her hyperventilating husband on the back. "Deep breaths…there you go."

Beast Boy coughed to hide his amusement. "Actually, Dante has a crush on Sam, but is sworn to protect Kira who probably has a crush on Dante, and Sam has a crush on Christian, who won't believe it. And, if I'm not mistaken, my baby has a crush on Robin's little brat—I mean Starfire's little angel." He grinned innocently at Starfire's lethal glare, which melted into a smile at his childish behavior.

"Wait, why is he protecting Kira?" Robin asked, dark eyebrows rising above his dark sunglasses.

Beast Boy tapped a finger against his chin. "I think Sam said that she wanted Dante to protect her against jeers and comments about her eyes, and just protect her overall because of her low confidence."

Starfire glanced down at her right hand, which was joined with Robin's left. "I do not know how that came to be. I have tried to help her, but she keeps thinking that she is below the rest of her siblings. Samara and Shiamar have tried to help as well, but nothing seems to work."

"Maybe Dante is the answer," Raven suggested, the wind tugging gently at her hair. "I know he's not the most talkative person, but maybe he can help boost her self-esteem a bit. Sort of like what Beast Boy did to mine."

"I sure as hell hope so. We don't seem to have any affect on her," Robin added dryly, turning his chin to the side to watch the younger children play. "Maybe someone her age—and not a family member—will."

"We all hope so," Bumblebee said softly. "We're all family here."

Harley smiled softly. "Yeah, we are, aren't we?"

"Yep. Except I don't think the children think of each other as family. At least not crush-wise."

The adults nodded. Wyatt glanced down at his watch. "Maybe we should get going. We've been here for over two hours already, and the younger ones are getting antsy." As if proving a point, Melody gave her mother's jeans a swift tug, her mouth set in a frown. "Inna go home, momma."

Hannah smiled softly at her daughter, scooping the toddler into her arms and pushing back a golden curl from her forehead. "I'll go ahead and load her up."

"Yeah. God knows it takes two hours to get Sebastian into the car," Colt joked with a smothered smile, kissing his wife's frowning mouth when she grunted in annoyance.

Mallory shook her head before bringing two fingers to her mouth and letting out a loud, piercing whistle. All of the children stopped what they were doing to stare at her. Grey, Dante, and Malachi cringed, as well as Beast Boy, and covered their sensitive ears. Raven had to smother a laugh at the matching, annoyed faces of her two sons.

Mallory gave a sheepish smile and gave a small, "Sorry." She cleared her throat, before calling out, much more softly, "Let's load up, folks! You know the drill! Ladies and pretty little shape-shifters in the white SUV! Gentleman and demon's—I mean Sebastian—" here she broke of and laughed at Colt's proud expression and Harley's dour one"—you all load up in the red SUV. Children below the ages of four, you come with me."

The children murmured between themselves before parting and moving to their destined car. Samara gave Cody back to Hannah reluctantly, both her and Kira frowning when Hannah took him back in her arms. Hannah laughed at their expressions, promising both of them that they would have plenty of time to hold him once they returned to the tower. She grinned and winked at Kira. "If you're good, I'll let you hold him as well. Okay?"

Hannah didn't miss the grateful look the Starfire sent her when Kira's face flushed in a pleased blush, and she nodded enthusiastically.

She rushed off to catch up with her sister, who immediately took her hand in hers. Dahlia and Ada, never one to be left out, rushed up to take their free hands, Adara clutching tightly to Kiranne's hand while Dahlia took the other. Ada started to talk about something quickly, her face bright with a smile. Their parents stopped what they were doing to watch their daughters. Starfire felt water pool in her eyes as Ada leaned forward and said something to Kira that had her smiling and giggling softly.

Dante and Shia trudged behind them. Their conversation paused, though, when Kira laughed, outright, her sisters grinning.

Grey jogged up to them, easily jumping on Shia's back. He caught her without breaking a stride, giving her a quick glance. "One of these days, kiddo, you'll end up knocking me over and there we'll be."

"I know." She laughed quickly, resting her chin against his shoulder to watch the four sisters' backs. She glanced coyly at her brother. "Kira has a pretty laugh."

All she received as an answer was a grunt, which had a devious smirk tugging at her mouth. "It's so rare, but I think that it's more pretty than her sisters. Neh, Shia?"

He glanced at her, green eyes narrowed, silently asking her _what are you up to, you little brat? _"Guess."

"I've seen her when she laughs, too. Very, very pretty. I think that's why Thomas picks on her so much. He might have a little crush, you know."

"Grey, I'm in first grade. Six year olds do not have crushes." Dante linked his hands behind his head in his signature pose.

"I did."

"You're not normal."

"Shove it, brat."

The four girls ahead of them stopped at the van. Sam opened the sliding door.

And leaped back when white rose petals tumbled out around her feet. She blinked. "Hey, mom, I think you might have forgotten the…flowers…"

Starfire heard her daughters call, and turned back. "Flowers? What…oh my God."

None of the children knew what was going on. One second, Starfire's daughters were standing beside the van. The next, all of the adult men snatched them up and pulled them away from the car as if there were a bomb about to detonate.

"What—" Christian started, confused as Sam and her sisters we placed beside him, far away from the road. He glanced up at his father, whose gray eyes were dilated with panic. "Dad, what's going on? Why is everyone panicking? Is there something wrong with the—" But his father reached toward Sam and lifted a stray, white petal from her hair.

Despite the fact that he had only been two when everything had occurred, Christian remembered, though very little, the happenings that had gone on. He also remembered his mother receiving a white rose, just weeks before she went missing, and ended up almost dying.

He stared at Sam as everything started to fit into place. She was frowning, gently picking petals from her clothes. He knew that her parents had told her about what had happened, but they had diluted it, only scraping the top. Sam was too young to know of everything that had happened. He, of course, knew everything. You didn't get through high school at a young age and not have your mind polluted by talks of the adults. Most of his teachers knew him as the little boy whose mother was a worldwide hero for surviving. Not being used to having a ten year old as a student in a high school, they asked him things that he should have never known about until he was at least thirteen. And, high school boys were usually vulgar around him, because he was so young.

But because of him being around older, more mature conversation, his parents had sat down and told him nearly everything. They had told him about the attempted rapes and such, but they never went into much detail either. But white roses were hated and feared in his household, for it meant horror and death.

And now, their care, more specifically, _the girls' car_, was filled completely with white rose petals. Of course, it could be a prank. There were people sick enough to play a joke on the survivors of the White Rose, but…

His father laid a hand on his shoulders, as well as Shia's. "Watch the girls, okay? Do not let them out of your sight. We're going to find the bast—I mean, _person_— who did this. Okay? Please, promise me."

Shia nodded numbly, watching as his father marched past him, his face set in a fierce scowl. It was something he had never seen in his father. Usually, his dad was all smiles and jokes, even if he was sometimes a bit like his twin, and stayed silent. But now, his dad actually looked…scared.

Beast Boy was morphed into a wolfhound, sniffing the petals and the ground. Raven stood beside him, her pale skin even more pallid than before.

Cameron and Chase walked up to them, eyebrows drawn together. At first, Shia couldn't tell which was which until one of them spoke up. He knew it was Cameron, for he immediately moved towards Adara. "What's going on?"

Shia opened his mouth, but Christian cut him off. "They'll tell you."

Dante frowned. "You know?"

Christian shrugged. "Sorta. But it's not my place to tell you." He glanced at Sam, who was watching her parents in confusion. Feeling his gaze, she looked toward him. When their eyes met, she flushed, eyes downcast and hands wringing.

Christian glanced at her brother, who was busy talking to the other boys. He thought quickly over the probabilities of one of them noticing it if he pulled Sam off to the side, and knew it was slim to none. They were too busy trying to figure out what was making their parents so alarmed.

Because of this, they never noticed Roxanne and Ryanne wonder off toward the graves, or Kira chasing after them to try and get them to come back.

Christian moved around the gathered bodies sitting around the large tree, and quickly grabbed Sam's arm, jerking her behind the tree so they were completely out of eyesight from the others.

"Chris, what's going on? Why—"

"Why did you kiss me earlier?"

The rest of her questioned ended in a squeak. She moved away, nervously twisting her fingers. Her blush was putting her hair to shame. "Um…well, you see…uh…Grey…no…um…"

Christian frowned down at her before sighing. "Never mind."

Her fingers stopped moving and her eyes flooded with relief. "Good, 'cause I don't—"

His kissed her.

It wasn't anything like the high school teens talked about, with the tongue and teeth—the idea of sticking his tongue in someone's mouth seemed disgusting and wet—but a mere press of his lips against hers.

It lasted far longer than that brief kiss she had planted on him earlier, but now, it just seemed…right.

He pulled back slowly, eyes never leaving hers. The blush was still there, but now, her eyes were bright. "Oh…" she breathed, and he couldn't help but kiss her softly again.

"_Kira!_"

Sam jerked away, eyes wide. She blinked rapidly, as if removing herself from a trance, and moved around the tree.

"What's wrong?"

Her brother was turning on circles, eyes wide. "I can't find her. One minute, she was here, the next—"

"Sammy, some woman won't leave Kira alone."

The twins whirled around the see Roxanne and Ryanne standing there, looking guiltily at the ground.

"Woman? What woman? Where is she?" Shia demanded.

Roxie flinched at the bite in his voice. "I…we…we…we were just playing, and this lady came up, and we tolded her we can't talk to strangers, and she moved closer, then Kira came and told us to come back, and we did, but she didn't come with us. She stayed there…and…I don't like the way that lady looked at her. She was holdin' something…I don't know what it was, but Kira looked kinda…scared. She was supposed to follow us, 'cause she said she would, but she didn't, so I came here, and—"

"You were told not to leave," Chase snapped as Cameron ran to tell one of the parents.

Their eyes watered. "We just wanted to play…"

"Dammit!" Shia cursed, but this time, there was no Beast Boy to snap at him.

They flinched when Starfire screamed out her daughter's name before taking to the skies. "_Kiranne_!"

Bumblebee and Hannah stood beside them while the other parents spread out. Immediately, the twins launched themselves at their mother, and wept. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," they repeated.

Shia clenched his fist tightly. He was mad, _so mad_, but he didn't know whom to blame. Kira had always been freakishly kind to others, even if she was timid. But, now…if he had just watched her, instead of wondering what was up with his parents…if he had…

"Damn," he sighed, scrubbing at his eyes. He wasn't going to cry, he wasn't going to cry. He was seven, for crying out loud. Seven year olds did not cry…

"Shia…" He glanced down at his twin sister. She rested her head against his shoulder, hands linking with his. "She'll be fine. Kira will be perfectly—"

But a cry pierced the clear air, their mother's cry. No none thought about it before they all took off at a dead run. Sophie and Hannah lingered back to watch the younger children, who had no idea what was going on.

All Shia was saw the tiny body laying against the pure snow, the bright red spilling across it before Wyatt grabbed him, blocking his path and lifting his feet of the ground.

"What's wrong? Is she hurt? Let me see my sister!" But all of his screams were muffled by the horrible sobs of his sisters and mother, by the shocked cry of Grey, and the sounds of his father's broken voice, telling his baby sister to hold on.

Wyatt held the struggling boy in his arms tightly while Cyborg, Beast Boy, Colt, and Ethan held back the other children.

"Shia, please, calm down."

"No! Let me see my sister! You can't keep me from her! You can't! You can't…" The end was nothing but a broken sob.

"Shia, Shia, listen to me. Please. She's okay. She's hurt, but she's okay. Raven's healing her. Please, calm down. Your sisters need you. Look at them."

He did, green eyes red from crying. Dahlia and Adara were worse then he was, kneeling on the ground sobbing. Poor Chase and Cameron looked like they wanted to comfort them, but didn't know how to go about it. Christian, who peered over her head to see what was going on, was not surprisingly, comforting Sam. Dante stood beside Grey, glancing down at their joined hands, as if wondering how he ended up holding it in the first place. But his eyes traveled to Shia's hurt sister, and those very unmanly—seriously, purple? —eyes were troubled.

"Are we good now?" Wyatt asked.

Shia glanced up at his uncle—though not by blood, of course—and nodded. "What happened?"

"I think your dad should explain it."

Shia nodded slowly, quickly scrubbing at his eyes. He started to look for him when Robin lifted him up easily and held him to his chest as if he were afraid he would lose him to the slightest wind.

It wasn't long before Sam, Ada, and Dahlia gathered around his father's legs. Since Sam was so tall, all she did was rest her forehead against her father's back, while his two shorter sister held on to his waist.

"Daddy, what's wrong with Kira?" Dahlia asked, her hands tightening against his lean frame.

"Someone hurt her, baby."

"Bad?" This time, the question came from Ada.

Shia felt his father hesitate before he said, "Yeah. She was hurt bad."

"What did they do?" Shia asked, shoving away the pride and resting his raven head against his father's shoulder. He turned his head, though, to see the extent of Kira's injury. His body stiffened immediately.

They had cut her throat.

Blood covered the ground in a sickening blanket, staining her shirt and skin. Raven had healed it, as his father had said, but the blood covered neck, and he knew, oh God, he _knew_, that if Ryanne and Roxanne had not come back when they did and told, if Cameron hadn't run like the devil was at his heels to tell, that his baby sister would be dead.

And it would have been his fault.

Robin felt his son's body become ridged, and cursed. He would have turned, spun around to remove the sight from Shia's vision, but he would have knocked his girls to the ground. They hadn't seen their sister yet. Their crying had been because they knew something was horribly wrong.

"She's okay, Shiamar," Robin assured him. But he knew words would not calm his son. The image of his baby girl, his little Kiranne, sprawled across the ground; blooding pouring slowly from the wound across her slim neck would forever be imprinted in his mind. It had taken all of his power not to hit the ground and sob when he saw her. Had it not been for Beast Boy, who had talked him through it, he would have. Then, he would have never been able to comfort his children.

"I want to go home," Shia said, his voice shaky. But his head snapped up, nearly head butting his father in the process.

"Kira!" He shouted, shoving against his father's shoulders and leaping down. Poor Robin was then heaved roughly from behind as his daughter shoved herself from him. Had it not been for his two daughters grabbing his jacket, he would have toppled forward.

But the second he was steady, Dahlia and Adara raced to their sister. Robin turned to see Raven gently helping the now awoken Kira sit up. Starfire, to his amazement, was calm, though tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

"Someone get me a wet cloth," Raven called, and it was Dante who ran to the cooler. No one had ever seen him move so fast before, and Raven actually paused to watch her son dart back and forth with the speed of a cheetah.

Raven took the torn piece of …Dante's shirt? She glanced at her son's torn hoodie and raised an eyebrow. He never glanced at her. Instead, he was staring at the blood-covered snow. She opened her mouth to say something, but Beast Boy laid a hand on his son's shoulder. It calmed Dante immediately, and his eyes returned to Kira.

Raven quickly soaked the cloth to wipe the blood away, but before she could, all of her siblings literally threw themselves at her, uncaring that blood soaked through their clothing.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again, Kira," Shia murmured against her skin, despite the fact that she smelled of blood and fresh snow.

"I'm sorry," she tried to say, but she ended up coughing, sending everyone into a panic.

"Whoa, there, kid. You're throats just been slit. I managed to heal it, but don't make it worse than it is. You won't be able to talk for a while. And, hate to say it, but you will have a scar. That's the only thing I can't prevent."

Kira opened her mouth to respond when her mother grabbed her and all of her sibling into a bear hug, lifting them in the air so their feet dangled a good four feet above the ground.

"Oh my little darling, you scared me witless! I will never, ever, ever let anyone hurt you! I should have been there, I should have—"

"She …warned…she wanted…" But Kira coughed again, spitting blood out of her mouth. When her sister's cried out, she waved her hand weakly, and peeled back her bottom lip. The inside was swollen and bleeding.

"Oh..." The sighed in unison, but Kira was wiggling out of her mother's grasp, accidentally rapping Ada in the ribs.

Under different circumstances, she would have dropped easily to her feet, but now she stumbled, her knees buckling and her legs collapsing beneath her. Beast Boy, thankfully, swept her up. Exhausted, she dropped her head against his shoulder.

Raven moved silently over to them, gently tipping her head back to clean off the blood. Kira's eyes were half-lidded when her parents gazed at her. Slowly, she turned to gaze at both Raven and Starfire.

"Her grave." And she closed her eyes, her body going limp. Raven held up a hand when Robin moved forward in panic, her eyes narrowed as she stared off at nothing in particular.

"Her grave," she repeated softly, mind racing.

But Starfire knew immediately. Numbly, she moved forward to a grave not ten feet away. She stood before it.

There, lying upon the cold marble of Darcy's engraved grave marker was the knife that had been used to slit her daughter's throat, holding down a white sheet of paper that was wet with blood.

And a white rose leaning against the stone, right beneath Darcy's name, her daughter's hair tangled within the thorns.

_ Paybacks a bitch, Red. _

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_Happily ever after only exists in fairytales…_

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